The Prince's Honor
by LorenAnnesde
Summary: Zuko and Katara meet Azula in the battle that will decide the heir to the Firelord.
1. Chapter 1

**A quick note: This is (currently) a oneshot of how the Agni Kai between Azula and Zuko should have gone down, in my opinion. Granted, I'm a Zutara fan, so the original was a little bit of a let-down for me.**

**P.S. I own nothing except my own plot twists.  
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**Azula swayed uneasily on her feet, her lunacy glaringly obvious as she screeched in delight. In the blink of an eye, she had spun, blasting a wave of blue fire towards Zuko. Katara watched in horror, certain that he wouldn't possibly react in time. Amazingly enough, he drew himself forward, greeting the lighting with his own orange flame. The two elements met in a fiery wall that stretched fifty feet into the night sky. Katara shielded her eyes from the almost-white, thousand-degree inferno. When she could see, the princess had emitted another seemingly endless burst of flame. Zuko cleared the half in front of him with an equally powerful blast. The remaining flame flew past him, only a foot or so from his right foot. He slipped, almost losing himself to the blaze. Katara gasped. After another few attempts at simply sending balls of fire in his direction, Azula herself blasted forward, her firebending propelling her towards Zuko at an ever increasing rate. Zuko crouched, shifting his weight onto his hands and twisting his legs upward, creating an enormous circle of fire around his body. He sent the whirling blaze at his approaching sister. She tried to avoid it, but was clipped on the shoulder and sent careening into the ground, rolling away from the prince. She didn't get up.

Katara dashed forward in an effort to see if Zuko was alright, but he stopped her yards short. As Katara stared down the long courtyard to where Azula had fallen, she saw the girl slowly lifting herself from the stones, shakily making it to all fours.

"Katara, get back!" Zuko shouted.

"No. Not this time," Katara replied, uncorking her water pouch.

He turned slightly to look at her. There was panic, and anger. "No, Katara! _Go_! _Now_!"

The waterbender froze. "Zuko, you don't have to prove anything! This isn't about your honor! Please, let me help!"

"_No_!" Zuko raged, casting a wave of orange flame at her feet. She darted back a few feet, shocked by his intense need to fight Azula alone.

The disheveled boy took his stance, mentally preparing himself for the shocking blow that was sure to come. Zuko had pushed her further over the edge, and her sanity had practically dissipated. His sister, her eyes wide and crazed, bent her arms, blue lightning already forming at her fingertips. She grinned maniacally at him for a moment, and then her eyes darted to his right.

He realized her intentions slightly too late. "_No!_" he roared, seeing the bolt spark from her hand in the direction of his friend. His hand was stretched out, ready to direct the jet of sizzling lightning. It entered his fingers at an odd angle, and the strength of it was almost too overpowering. He fought against the urge to crumple in on himself.

_Across, down, around, up, and out,_ he thought, straining to let his fingers follow the path that avoided his heart. With a last burst of strength, he turned himself so that the shock returned in the direction of its owner. Azula quickly avoided it, still smiling evilly.

He'd failed. He hadn't been able to control the bolt before part of it went through him to his heart. He hit the ground at full speed, his head cracking against the marble. Pain welled up in his chest, setting him ablaze. Lighting crackled around him, causing his muscles to spasm. He cried out as the electricity drove him to unconsciousness.

"Zuko!"

She didn't have time to see if he was alright, or even alive, because Azula was still coming. Blue lightning shot past her and shattered part of a marble pillar. Katara lurched backwards, trying to regain her focus, uncapping her water pouch and finding the energy inside her to move the element. It swirled out of the neck and was immediately obedient to her every whim. She fastened it into two whips, which she clutched forcefully as the princess dashed around the corner, spitting fire. Katara lashed out, but Azula simply created a wall of flames, steam instantly rising where the two elements met. Her weapon evaporated, Katara panicked. Her eyes searched for something that could be useful, anything—

Her gaze settled on a drainage grate in the pavilion. There was water beneath that grate! If only she could lure Azula in that direction…

She collected some water back out of the air in time to deflect another of the girl's blows. She continued to back away as the princess approached. The scent of ozone tainted the air, and it was far too warm for Katara to again pull the water out of its vapor form. Azula smiled, knowing she had the waterbender trapped. Katara was over the grate, now. She felt the strength of her element flowing, renewing her determination. Slowly she pulled up as much energy as she could muster. Azula inhaled deeply, sparks flying from her hands as she stalked forward toward Katara.

Her heel finally came in contact with the metal of the grate as she began her attack. In one swift movement and a deep breath, Katara pushed with all her might. The water below them rushed up, drenching both of them. With a flick of her wrist, the water froze around them. Katara allowed the water around her to remain liquid, and she opened her eyes to find Azula's fingers inches from her face. Moving quickly, she grabbed the chin used to open the grate and set about securing the fire princess to it. Once she was securely fastened, she allowed the water to stream back to whence it came.

Enraged, Azula struggled against the chain that bound her. "Foolish peasant! You think you've won? You've only deepened my vendetta! Once I am free I _will_ find you and _kill_ you—just like I did to little Zuzu over there," she cackled, jerking her head in the direction of Zuko's lifeless body. "I finally did what my father was going to do two years ago! He'll be so pleased that he doesn't have to put up with a weak, cowardly traitor for a son any longer!"

Katara gasped, remembering her friend. She skidded over to him, falling onto her knees as she reached him. "Zuko?" She lifted his head, but he remained unresponsive. She grabbed at the collar of his shirt, pulling it away from his chest. The singed skin there was red and blistered, with a deep maroon splotch covering the place where his heart rested. She listened carefully for any signs of breath, of _life_—but there were none. Desperately, she condensed enough water to cover her hands and spread it across his wounds. It began to glow a bright cerulean, and the skin beneath her fingertips began to return to its normal pallor. His heart was still fried, so she placed one hand over the other and pushed down over the dark red spot on his chest. She could feel nerves rewiring and arteries reconnecting their paths. Suddenly the prince coughed and choked down a breath, his golden eyes snapping open for an instant and then closing again. His hand reached up and brushed against her arm.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She placed her palm on the side of his face, her thumb gently resting against his scar. "Zuko, can you hear me? Please!"

His eyelids flickered, and then he took in another ragged breath. "K-katara…?" He opened his good eye jadedly and took in her appearance. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She choked back an astonished laugh. "You almost died! You almost died, trying to protect _me_…" She helped him sit in an upright position, mostly bearing his weight against her shoulder.

"So your little peasant _girlfriend_ saved you? Hey, Zuzu, I killed you once, I can kill you again!" Azula shouted from her place in the pavilion. Zuko let his eyes drift over to where she was chained, her eyes just as bright, although now they were aglow with rage.

"Don't think I can't get out of here! As soon as one of my servants finds me, I'll be free!" She howled as she strained against her restraints. "I'll find you, waterbender! I'll rip your home apart, burn your town, kill your family…" She grinned. "And you'll suffer my wrath long after the world kneels at my feet!"

"How did you—" he began, but then he noticed her specific location and stopped. He allowed himself to look up at Katara, who was still checking his wounds. For almost a year he had underestimated her, and she'd again proven that she could always come out on top. She paused, smiling at him, and ran her hand again across his cheek, briefly touching the scar tissue around his left eye. He closed his eyes, enjoying the cool touch her fingers provided. A new pool of energy rose up inside him, and he turned and pulled Katara closer to him in an embrace. She returned it, hugging him tightly against her. "Thank you," he murmured into her ear.

When they pulled apart, Katara's eyes were averted and a blush crept up to redden her cheeks. Zuko's heart was pounding harder than it had only a few seconds ago. His hand drew her chin up and he leaned toward her again.

Their lips met lightly at first, but then Katara reached her hand around his neck, threading her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. A shock of excitement coursed through his body as she responded to his kiss.

She was the one to pull away. "Zuko, I-I can't do this." Her azure eyes were wide with shock, her lips trembling. He settled his head against her shoulder again, his sudden high gone.

He had no idea what had come over him. It was Katara! He had only just recently earned her trust, and now he had gone up and kissed her—and what's worse, she seemed to have returned it before realizing just what she was doing. He didn't know what she was going to do—have him leave the group? He couldn't imagine that; Aang still needed a firebending teacher. Was she going to tell the others? What was Aang going to think? Zuko knew the way the boy felt about the waterbender; it wasn't as if he was a master at keeping his feelings to himself. Zuko had hardly been with the Avatar for a few weeks and already he had seen the looks of pure devotion and love that he shined in Katara's direction. If he found out what happened, he may change his mind about learning from him, giving him no reason to remain with them. And—most importantly to Zuko—he should have been more thoughtful towards Katara. He'd betrayed her trust—or what little he had—in a stupid, senseless _kiss_! Well, it wasn't senseless, he corrected. Just stupid.

"I'm sorry," he muttered into the dead silence. "I… I shouldn't have done it—"

"Don't apologize," she said quietly, and Zuko faded off. "I think I understand the feelings you're having right now…more than you might think."

She'd just resurrected him from the dead. She'd done nothing but try to give him another chance until his chances had run out. She was kind, giving, ceaselessly trying to bring about peace. He had hardly any idea what he had done that could allow her to harbor any sort of positive feelings towards him. He'd invaded her village, threatened her people, captured the Avatar, and tracked her across the globe. He thought it was going to take forever to even get her to not hate him anymore.

Katara placed her hand over Zuko's, which was still lying limp after their broken-off kiss. "What you did for me—I couldn't ask you to do anything like that. Don't do anything that idiotic again, do you understand?" Her cheeks tinted a deeper brown. "I mean, I don't want to have to fix you up again. I nearly passed out trying to heal your heart."

So she did understand, somewhat. However, _he,_ who had been her sworn enemy for months, and had only done his duty to protect her, wasn't worthy of the praise she was bestowing on him.

He tried to force himself to think that he hadn't done it because of his own feelings for the waterbender, but it was difficult to see beyond those emotions.

The prince bowed his head. "I don't regret it." He looked up at her when she didn't respond. "I'm not sorry for what I did. If you had been killed… I don't know what I would have done." He sighed. "I'm no hero. I did it for selfish reasons. You are—and I hope you can consider me the same—one of my friends, and if I can stand against my crazy sister instead of one of you, I will."

His eyes had always been the most expressive part of his face. Now they burned with the same determination they had back when he had captured her in his search for the Avatar. He had been much different then, but his passion to protect what was his—either his honor or his friends—remained the same, and she respected that enormously.

She closed her eyes and nodded, accepting his reasons. Had it been Aang or Toph or Sokka in her place, she would have easily made the same decision he had.

But…

Of all the people she would have expected him to hold a grudge against, it would have been her. She had been the most reluctant to accept him into their group, and the most spiteful afterward. She'd had reasons—once a banished prince trying to capture the Avatar, always a banished prince trying to capture the Avatar. He'd already betrayed her personally before. How likely was he to do it again?

"Zuko…," she began, but he weakly raised his fingers to her lips.

"I don't want to lose you, Katara," he whispered before fading back into unconsciousness.

Katara held the boy for a few moments more. The warmth of his body was too strong. She felt as if she was surrounded by flames. She lifted the unaware prince awkwardly against her shoulder and began to shuffle out of the courtyard. The weight was staggering, and combined with the heat that emitted from him she almost buckled. She stopped just outside the gates to rest, gently placing Zuko's head in her lap as she regained her breath. Appa was gone, most likely frightened away by the Agni Kai between the two Firelord's children. She sighed, expecting a short wait while Appa calmed down and returned. Zuko sighed and cringed, the pain flickering across his countenance. Katara brushed the damp hair from his forehead, her fingers lingering along the upper edge of his scar. Cautiously, she traced along his brow bone, where his eyebrow would have been were it not for the scar, across, lightly following the curve of his damaged ear. She continued along the edge of his jaw, clenched tight against the pain, and finally brushed her thumb along his lips, those lips he had kissed her with just a few minutes ago, those lips that she had kissed back instinctively, happily.

Katara closed her eyes. What was she doing? She loved Aang. She wanted to be with Aang…didn't she?

She opened her eyes. Zuko was relaxing, the muscles in his jaw and forehead loosening. Her pulse pounded all the way in her stomach. Was she reacting to the banished prince, or was she simply caught up in the moment? Had the heated and frightening battle rubbed her emotions raw?

The Fire Nation heir gave a small mew of content and nuzzled against Katara's leg. She stiffened for an instant, caught off guard by the boy's unmanly expression of affection. The waterbender ran her fingers through his hair again, wondering if the intense heat radiating from him was normal. She carefully removed some water from her pouch and chilled it with her breath before gently setting it against Zuko's cheek. He sighed heavily as she cleaned the sweat and grime from his face. When she touched her fingers to his forehead afterwards, the skin was much cooler.

With a mighty moan, Appa appeared in the sky, circling ever lower until he landed in the soft grass in front of where Katara sat. Trying not to jostle him too much, Katara heaved Zuko up, using her shoulder as a brace. She dragged the boy over to Appa, and then set him down. She bent her water so that it carried the unconscious boy onto the saddle, and then climbed on after him.

"Yip yip!" she said to the bison, and they took off, making their way back to meet with the rest of the group.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well. It wasn't a oneshot for long. So I guess I'm going to keep writing until I reach a point where my writer's block gets the best of me. Reviews would be great, especially those with constructive criticism. It helps me to make my work better, and more enjoyable to readers.**

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Zuko regained consciousness somewhere over the ocean. His entire body ached, the pain in his chest having spread through his limbs. His head throbbed. He groaned, running his hand over his face groggily.

"Zuko?"

The prince opened his eyes carefully, the sun's rays too bright for him. A woman's silhouette came into focus. "Katara?"

The silhouette came closer, and the waterbender's face appeared in the shadows. "Zuko! Thank Yue you're alright! You've been out for a few days."

"A few _days_?" he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I don't—"

"You've been feverish," she interrupted. "I mean, more than you usually are…" She blushed. "The fever broke a few hours ago, and I was hoping…"

Zuko smiled. "Thank you."

Her cheeks darkened further. "I hardly did anything."

He shook his head. "No, I mean for everything you did back…with Azula. I couldn't have done it without you. Obviously." He gestured to the healing wound across his heart.

Katara lowered her eyes, running her eyes across his torso. "You really could've died. You have no idea how…_terrifying_ it was to see you like that."

Zuko sat up, wincing as he did. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about…that other thing, you know, that happened."

She took a deep breath. "Zuko…"

"Please, just listen to me," he murmured, lightly touching her neck. "I meant to do what I did. I care about you, Katara. More than anyone in my whole life. But I want you to be happy. And if you're truly happy with Aang, then I won't say another word."

She smirked. "Always the honorable one."

"I'm serious."

Her smile vanished. "I know." She touched Zuko's wrist, encircling it in her cool fingers. His pulse beat steadily under her fingertips. "I'm not sure, Zuko. I love Aang…at least I think I do. But I _do_feel for you. I _want_ to be with you." She blinked back the moisture pooling in her eyes. "I just… I don't know, right now."

Slowly, so that she could tell what he intended to do, Zuko leaned in so that their noses were brushing, his breath warm on her lips. "Katara," he breathed, and she shuddered. "I will wait for you. You don't have to make this decision right now. And whatever you choose, I will be happy for you." With that, he leaned away.

Katara exhaled sharply and glared at the prince. "That was mean."

He laughed and threw her a smirk, though his mind was reeling from her close proximity. "I don't want to affect who you choose. Especially since Aang isn't here to defend himself. So I will not touch you, kiss you, or tell you how much I lo—like you until you have reached a decision." He held up a finger when she began to protest. "I will, however, _return_ touches, kisses, and terms of endearment if you initiate them. Sound like a deal?"

She nodded.

Zuko smiled. "Good." He glanced over the edge of the saddle. "Now… How exactly did I get on Appa?"

Katara beamed. "I carried you."

"You _carried_ me? How did I not notice?"

She shrugged. "You're a heavy sleeper. You needed the rest."

"What else did you do while I was unconscious?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

The waterbender rolled her eyes and smirked. "You make small mewing noises and snuggle when you sleep."

The color drained from the prince's face. "I do not!"

Katara seemed to be enjoying this new line of conversation. "Oh, yes. You were lying in my lap—"

"I was _what_?" he exclaimed, surprised.

"Never mind that… Anyway, you snuggled up against my leg and purred like a sea-leopard kitten."

Zuko's face flushed beet red as he stammered. "I—I'm sorry. I just—I didn't—"

"It's okay," she replied, still smiling. "I promise I won't tell anyone about your subconsciously submissive nature."

"I'm not—!" he tried to object, but she just shook her head dismissively. "Let's talk about something else," he decided. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So… Do you _like_ sea-leopard kittens?"

She laughed. "How about we move a little further away from that subject… Are you feeling okay? Better?"

He shrugged. "It still hurts, somewhat. I took a pretty decent-sized hit, didn't I?"

She shuddered. "More that a decent-sized hit, Zuko. Azula, she—she stopped your heart. You weren't breathing."

He was quiet. "I know." His eyes met her azure ones. "The whole time I was standing there, waiting for her to shoot… I never expected her to lash out at you. I should have known what she was planning to do… And the worst thought is, I could have missed. If I was even a few more seconds late, you'd be gone."

"What I don't understand is why you felt you needed to take her on your own. I could have helped you," she insisted.

Zuko paused, his golden eyes drifting away from her. She waited while he thought out his response by examining his profile. His mouth was pressed in a stiff line, his jaw stiff with agitation. Quietly, without looking back at her, he began to speak.

"In the Fire Nation…a man's honor is his most prized possession. He needs to be respected and accepted by his peers and superiors. Without honor, you're nothing. When a person questions your authority, it's customary to defend your honor by a show of power. Between firebenders, this display is called an Agni Kai, or, to put it literally, 'Fire Meeting'."

Katara felt goose bumps prickle on her arms at the term. She had first heard of the duel when Zuko had explained to her how he had received the scar that marked his face. The mentioning of it now gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"Before my grandfather came into power, the Agni Kai was a last resort, when disputes were too difficult to resolve through discussion and debate, and even then were hardly ever fought to the death. In the time of Sozin's bloodline, it has become a common sport, used to entertain the nobles of the Firelord's court. It's even considered weak if you don't kill your opponent. The loser is dishonored." He finally turned, reading her expression with his golden eyes. "She challenged me, Katara. She challenged my ability to rule, my _birthright_. I had to prove not only to her, but to me, that I was entitled to it more than she was."

Katara lowered her eyes. "So…you really would have killed her?"

The fire prince blinked. "She wouldn't have hesitated given the same option. She _didn't_ hesitate." He stopped her before she could speak. "But no, you're right. I wouldn't have killed her. That would have made me exactly like my father." He touched his hand to his ruined cheek, and Katara wondered what dark place his mind had wandered to.

"I didn't prove myself," he finally continued, voice low with emotion.

"What are you talking about?"

He closed his eyes. "Katara, I'm only here because you brought me back to life. Azula finished me, she finished the Agni Kai. How am I supposed to become Firelord if I couldn't defend my honor?"

Katara was quiet. Her silence made him even more distressed. _I'm a failure,_ he thought bitterly. _My country will never stand for a leader who has been disgraced so completely._

"You've proved your honor time and time again, Zuko."

He opened his eyes. She was watching him, her brow furrowed as she tried to read his expression.

"When I first… When we were imprisoned together, under Ba Sing Se, you told me that you won't let your past create your future. You weren't defined by your scar, or your father's approval. Sure, you made mistakes, but everyone does at one point or another." She paused. "The choices you made for yourself were honorable. You left the Fire Nation on your own because you saw that what they were doing was wrong. It took courage to stand up to your father and decide to join our group. You were willing to take that leap of faith. And as for what you did for me—"

She cut off abruptly, biting her lip. Zuko understood why. The attack they had laid for her mother's killer had been deeply personal and painful. The closure she had received had helped to dissipate the malicious feelings she had harbored for him when he first joined the group.

"There is no doubt in my mind that if you hadn't jumped to save me, you would have defeated Azula. The fact that you put my life before your own shows just how willing you are to sacrifice yourself for those you care about."

"Thank you," he muttered, although he still wasn't convinced entirely of his merit. There had been just as many bad decisions as good in the past three years. "I guess that…after going so long having to prove my worth to my father…the idea that I can do something right, something _good_…"

The waterbender patted his hand. "These characteristics have been in you all along. And your people will see you like I do. A strong, confident, reliable leader."

Again, with the eyes. He was making her burn up without even touching her.

_This is completely different than when I'm with Aang._

She was disturbed by this thought that had flown into her mind. Comparing the fire prince and the Avatar would do neither of them justice. So how was she supposed to choose?

She felt safe with Aang, in control. He would give her security and always put her needs first. He was kind-hearted and compassionate, always doing what he believed was right for the world. But she also felt inexplicably attracted to the firebender. He was always moody and so stubborn, and they fought nearly as often as they got along, yet she felt a deep connection with him that she didn't have with Aang. Maybe the young airbender was too naïve to know what she needed. He was only thirteen, after all. And he had only been a part of the modern world—_her_ world—for a span of months, whereas Zuko had lived though the struggles of the war his entire life. And the way she felt around him… She was far more impassioned when she was with the older, more mature Zuko. And the way he was looking at her now…

Suddenly unable to bare the tension between them, Katara drew herself forward and pressed her lips to his.

This time was more forceful that the last, her normal calm leaving her and replaced with a torrent of emotion. She cupped his face in her hands, and deepened the kiss, wanting, hoping for more.

Zuko put his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her away. He locked eyes with hers, molten bronze meeting ice blue. "No, Katara."

Her expression was a mixture of uncertainty, disappointment, and hurt. "But you said—"

"You don't want this. Not now, not this way. You're confused, and I don't want to take advantage of you." He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Let's wait until we meet up with Aang, okay? The only reason you're doing this is because I'm the one who's here. He deserves to have as much of a chance as me."

Katara slumped, ashamed. "You're right, Zuko. Of course you are. I can't believe I'm being so inconsiderate. It's not fair, what I'm doing to him. And to you." She buried her face in her hands. "I feel like a terrible person."

He was shaking his head before she had finished. "You're not a terrible person. I know a thing or two about conflict; I've dealt with it for most of my life. It's better to think long and hard before leaping head-first into something you may regret later." She looked up as he said, "Eventually, you'll find your way to where you truly want to be."

She smiled to herself, deciding to place _insightful_ onto Zuko's list of pros. "Your uncle teach you that?"

Zuko grinned. "Half the time I couldn't decipher what he was trying to tell me. But this is one of those lessons I took to heart. It's gotten me far."

Katara placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the warmth that radiated from his center spread into her body. "Thank you for looking out for me, Zuko. I'm glad I have someone…who cares about me as much as you do."

"Katara—" he gasped, snatching her forearm away from him. The dull burn that had been stirring suddenly flared up as her hand made contact with his skin.

"What's wrong?"

He swallowed, shaking his head. "Maybe we'll just not touch my chest for the time being. It's still a little sensitive."

"Oh, jeez, Zuko, I'm so sorry—" she began.

"It's okay," he cut in. "I'm fine. Just a little tired, is all."

"Then you should rest," she insisted. "I can handle Appa until we meet up with Aang."

A troubling thought crossed his mind as he settled down again. The possibility he had imagined sent chills down his spine. After a few moments, he decided to voice his concern. "Katara?"

"Yes, Zuko?" She was already returning to her place near the bison's head, picking up the reins from where she had left them.

"What if, when we get there, it's my father who comes to greet us instead of the Avatar?"

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ah. Chapter Three. The reason it's longer than the first two (yet still brief) is because, well, the final scenes of the series was not how I wanted it to end. So I got it over with in one big...blah-ish go. Sorry if this chapter makes you frustrated. It made me frustrated, too.  
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The architecture of the Fire Nation's royal palace was astounding. Katara touched one of the many gold pillars that stretched upwards until it met with the marble ceiling high above. She regarded her reflection in the polished metal, slightly distorted because of its rounded shape. Although she was wearing her traditional blues, the elaborate gown she wore was anything but her usual attire. On her upper half, the slim blue silk was light, almost nonexistent, against her skin. Sleeveless, her dark arms were bare from her shoulders down. She noted the tendons in the side of her neck were strained. The master waterbender breathed deeply and focused on relaxing. She should be happy, not stressed. Today Zuko would become the new Firelord, and her the new ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe. Nothing could make this moment better.

"You look beautiful."

Katara turned away from the column. "Thanks, Aang."

The Avatar was dressed in the full garb of an airbending master, his pale orange robe hanging loosely from his gangly body. A string of green, yellow, blue, and red beads held a large wooden disk with the emblem of the Air Nomads carved into it, similar to the one that had belonged to Monk Gyatso. He grinned boyishly at her. "Bumi just got here a few minutes ago. I was just going to meet Toph and go see him. Do you want to come?"

She hesitated. When she had first met the man, she thought he was insane. After forcing Aang to complete near impossible challenges, he had revealed himself to be one of the boy's oldest friends—quite literally. After that, she had never felt completely at ease with the ancient king of Omashu. "That's alright. I need to finish getting ready. I'll meet up with you in an hour or so, okay?"

The thirteen-year-old pouted—childishly, Katara thought suddenly. The realization repelled her for a moment, but she quickly dismissed the horror she had felt. He wasn't that much younger than she was, and his experiences over the past few months had definitely granted him with a greater level of maturity than others his age.

_Most importantly,_ she reasoned, _he loves me. And I love him_.

Oddly, the thought didn't make her stomach fill with a fluttering sensation, the way it used to. Instead, she felt a sickening in the back of her throat, as if it was sealing itself shut. The same way she felt whenever she told a lie.

Aang departed through the doors of the grand entry in search of his earthbending teacher, leaving Katara alone with her traitorous feelings. She bit back a groan of frustration and spun to delve deeper into the palace. Red tapestries lined the walls between the windows, creating a stark contrast between the stark light of midmorning and the darkness that still resided within the confines of the royal household. She twisted her way through halls and ballrooms and lounges and dining halls until she was completely lost. As she struggled to decide which way to go next, she caught the corner of a red gown as it turned into one of the rooms to her right. She hustled in that direction, hoping by some chance that she could catch one of the servants that tried to remain out of sight.

She stopped short of the entryway, startled by the sound of Zuko's voice.

"Mai! You're okay! They let you out of prison?"

Carefully, bit by bit, Katara peeked her head around the edge of the doorframe. The noblewoman and fire prince were caught in a warm embrace. His grinning face was illuminated by the large windows that opened up onto a white marble balcony. The waterbender realized that this must be Zuko's private chambers, where he was getting ready for his coronation. The fact that Mai knew the location of said chamber was not lost in her, either.

As they pulled apart, Katara caught a brief glance at the usually unenthusiastic girl's face. She was smiling softly, and it made her fine features somehow more beautiful. Her slight fingers grasped the fabric of Zuko's official robes, which were hanging open, giving an unobstructed view of the thick white bandages covering his injured torso. She tenderly pulled the cloth across his body, tying it off at his waist.

"My uncle tied some strings." She glanced up at him through her lashes. "And it doesn't hurt when the new Firelord's your boyfriend."

He frowned. "Does this mean you don't hate me anymore?"

"I think it means…I actually kind of like you." Mai leaned forward, kissing him gently.

It was at this point that Katara pulled back, her heart beating madly in her chest. The betrayal she felt was stunning, the constriction in her throat tightening. Silently, she hurried back the way she came, not caring where she went so long as it was away from what she had just witnessed.

As Mai pressed herself closer to the prince, all he could think about was how she fit him all wrong. She was too tall, too thin, too hard. He felt like he was holding some sort of tree branch, not a woman. His lips gave way to hers instead of the other way around. Even when she was at her most emotional, it was still far less than how Katara—

Katara!

Zuko placed his hands of her hips and kindly but firmly pushed her away. They stared at each other for a moment or so; her coolly regarding him and him at first finding nothing to say. Then he refocused his mind and swallowed. "Listen, Mai, I can't do this."

She was quiet for a few minutes. Long enough for Zuko to begin fidgeting, Finally, she sighed. "Me either."

He blinked. "But you just—"

"You're not the same, Zuko. You're not even the same boy you were last time you were home. I saw how much you'd changed when we talked at Boiling Rock. This wasn't going to work, and I knew it. But it doesn't hurt to try again." She sniffed. "You were the first guy I ever loved. It's hard to get over that. But you've changed, and I've changed, as much as I hate to admit it." She smirked. "There's a lot of time to mull these kinds of things over in prison."

"Mai, I'm so sorry. Azula was—"

"Crazy? Out of control? I knew that. I've known that for a long time." The noble paused, thinking about her one-time friend, now isolated in a cooler at her uncle's prison. "I guess I figured if I stayed on her side of the fire, I wouldn't get burned. But she would have killed you and your friends, and, like I said—it's hard to get over your first love. So I stopped her."

He reached out and touched her hand. "You'll always have a place in my heart, Mai. I won't forget what you did for us."

She waved him off. "You tend to rub your for-the-good-of-the-world attitude off on everyone you associate with." She wrinkled her nose. "It's kind of obnoxious, sometimes."

He smiled. "Thank you, Mai."

"That wasn't a complement," she told him, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. "But you're welcome."

"…So what are you going to do now?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know…Ty Lee's gone off to join the Kyoshi Warriors. Maybe I'll tag along. I hear they're quite talented with fans. I could show them a thing or two about throwing blades…"

"You won't stay in the Fire Nation?"

The lady shook her head. "There's no reason I should. My parents and Tom Tom are living in a Fire Nation colony—or what used to be one. There's no family here for me."

"There are friends," he chipped in, hopeful. "You'll come and visit from time-to-time, right? I don't want to lose you forever."

Mai shrugged. "Of course. I don't want to forget you, either. But I'm tired of politics. I'm tired of just sitting around."

He wasn't able to express in words just how much she meant to him. He tried to think of something to say that would make her wait, give her a reason to stay. Finding none, his throat dried up and he said, "I'll miss you."

She sighed. Leaning forward again, she pressed her lips to his cheek for a brief instant. "I'll keep in touch. Send a messenger hawk, or something."

"Prince Zuko?"

The pair glanced toward the door. One of the fire sages was waiting, stoic, in the hall while one of the guards nervously stood in the entryway. "We need to report to the war room—ah, I mean the council chambers, Your Highness. To prepare for the ceremony."

Zuko returned his attention to the noblewoman, smiling sheepishly. "Duty calls."

"I'll see you…later, then," she replied, carefully sweeping out of the room, brushing the edge of her dress across the guard's pointed toe.

The prince felt like he was seeing through a haze as the two men escorted him through the bowels of the palace toward the very center of the complex, where most business was carried out.

He wished Katara was there. She would know what to say.

She didn't know what to think.

Eventually the waterbender had found her way out into one of the spacious gardens that littered the estate that the palace resided upon. A willow-grass tree dipped its thin branches into a turtle-duck pond. The shelled creatures followed their mother away from where the girl dropped herself in a tear-soaked heap at the edge of the water.

He'd said he would wait for her. But what if he had just changed his mind? What if, instead of having to wait for her to choose one boy or the other, he had decided to take what was offered to him willingly, no strings attached? The idea that she had lost him so quickly and easily made her want to scream with rage.

"She's hardly even a person!" she seethed, rising and ripping the water from its resting spot and whipping it around her body. She stalked toward a large boulder near the outer wall and bade her element to follow. "She's nothing but an empty—cold—disgusting—pathetic—emotionless—shell with no personality whatsoever!" With each insult she slashed at the rock, slicing off several sheets which fell to the grassy earth with loud, echoing crunches. As she stood there, breath coming hard in her lungs, her arms began to tremble and eventually crashed against her sides. Water plunged down, soaking the grass surrounding her and turning it to mud.

She couldn't blame him, of course. A life of security and ease would be ideal in the eyes of such a political leader as the Firelord. A foreign Firelady would only create more resentment for the crowning of the one-banished son of the still-living Ozai. Who would want a woman from the Southern Water Tribe, a _nobody_ who didn't know a thing about Fire Nation customs, living a life of luxury at the expense of the people?

Mai was financially independent. Mai was Fire Nation. Mai was politically active in the country's government. Mai was already beloved by her people, though how the sullen girl had caught the public's attention or affection was beyond her.

_This is probably what's best for him_, she consoled herself as the anger ebbed from her. _He's trying to do what's right for his people. And maybe he really does love Mai_.

This last thought made her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.

"Today, this war is finally over."

The roar of the attending mass of Fire Nation citizens deafened the speaker for a full minute. Standing above them at the top of the palace steps, he could only see red for a mile in each direction. He gave a small half-smile as he held his hands up for silence. The cheers died away gradually until there was silence again. "I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided." Zuko smiled at Aang, who stood back a few feet from where he was addressing the nation. He beckoned him forward, grasping his shoulder in camaraderie. "But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace."

The throng applauded again, and Zuko took the opportunity to speak in the younger boy's ear. "I can't believe a year ago my purpose in life was to hunt you down." The words sounded harsh even to him. "And now…"

_Now all I want is Katara to pick me over you._

"Now we're friends," the Avatar filled in readily.

Guilt rose up in the firebender. He didn't want Aang to get hurt any more than Katara did. It was selfish and unkind for him to be so bitter. From now on, he resolved to be as cordial to the boy as he possibly could, in both mind and action. "Yeah. We _are_ friends."

"I can't believe a year ago I was frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now." He gazed out at the Fire Nation people, still expressing their joy in the new rising age.

Zuko clutched his shoulder tighter for a moment before releasing him. "And it's going to be even more different. We'll rebuild it, together."

The other boy stepped away, and Zuko ran his eyes across his friends—Toph, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki. Their eyes were all bright and their faces cheerful. This really was a happy ending, wasn't it?

Zuko knelt to one knee, and his heartbeat grew louder in his ears. He could feel the presence of the High Sage behind him, and then the strange pulling in his topknot as his hair ornament was removed. He could tell when the crown was presented, because another cheer rose up from the people amassed below. Then the cool metal slid down, its dull point digging into his scalp slightly.

"All hail Firelord Zuko!"

Festivities in the Fire Nation palace were nothing like those in the South Pole. Whereas Katara was used to the telling of family history through stories around a campfire, and possibly some sort of feast, the party that was taking place was full of fine gowns and dress robes, firebending entertainers, glasses of fine wine and champagne, and elite members of society socializing in a way that was equally proper and scandalous. She didn't know where she should go, what she should do first.

Toph approached with an eager-looking Aang. "Hello, Sugar Queen. Enjoying the party?"

"You look nice," the waterbender said, taking notice of the girl's yellow dress. Stopping just above her feet, she could see matching flats covering Toph's normally bare toes. "You're wearing shoes."

The blind girl raised her eyebrows. "I've already pulled this trick, Katara." She bent her leg, revealing her dirty soles.

"I'm rolling my eyes, Toph," the older girl said and nudged her shoulder. "I haven't gotten around to anything yet. There's just so _much_—it's nothing like what we have back home."

"Same here," Aang said. "Last time I was at a Fire Nation party was over a hundred years ago, but even then they were crazy compared to the rest of the world. They used to have these dance parties—"

"Will they even _have_ dancing?" Toph interrupted.

Aang frowned, perplexed. "You're right. If they've been repressing self-expression in the schools, I doubt they'll be expecting people to…" He drifted off, an idea lighting up his eyes. He turned to Katara. "Let's dance."

"What?" she laughed nervously. "Aang, if there's no dancing, I don't see how we—"

"Come on! It'll be fun!" He grabbed her wrist and led her to a relatively open space. He bowed formally to her and then stepped forward to grasp her hand in his. His other arm found its place on her hip and he began leading her in easy circles.

Conversation died around them. Katara noticed a couple of women covering their mouths in amusement.

"Aang, people are staring," she hissed. "I think we should—"

He ignored her, instead spinning her under his arm and leaning back so she dipped against his shoulder. Surprised, she laughed, suddenly thinking that it didn't much matter what a bunch of women she didn't know thought. She was here, with the Avatar, and she was going to enjoy herself any way she pleased.

They twisted and circled around each other, beginning to anticipate the other's next move.

_I could really be happy with Aang_, she mused. _Down-to-earth, entertaining, spontaneous Aang._ As she had been graciously lifted of her daunting decision, she wouldn't have to hurt him, a fact that made her heart leap.

Their future would be a little murky in the beginning, since he would need to be continuously traveling from nation to nation and she was going to take a long vacation home after a quick excursion to Ba Sing Se. But they could work it out. They were perfect complements of each other, water and air. It would be easy to be with him.

In one final twirl, Katara fell back, and Aang caught her tenderly against his knee. The two grinned at each other, catching their breath for a moment before hesitant clapping broke out through the party. The waterbender blushed as she realized that they had gathered a rather large audience.

They walked back to where the earthbender was standing, her face stretched into a wide smile. "You guys always know how to rile up a party," she told them as the gathered people began to disperse.

She was taking a sip from her wineglass when she caught the golden eyes of the motionless Firelord. One of the servers was mumbling something into his ear, and his eyes asked her some unfathomable question. She felt the now typical sense of dread she always had when thinking about Zuko. He excused himself from the guests he was conversing with and began to head in her direction. She panicked. She wasn't ready to hear what he had to say. Not yet. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that his decision was a good thing, she still couldn't fully believe that he had refuted her so completely. Hearing what she already knew from him would only make her heartache that much worse.

"Something wrong, Sweetness?" Toph pointed up at her accusingly. "Your heartbeat suddenly started beating double-time."

"It's—I think it's this wine. I suddenly feel unwell. I think I'll go lie down for a while. I'll be back later." She shoved her glass into the Avatar's hand and stepped away from her friends. She made her way in the opposite direction of the approaching Firelord.

"She's lying," she heard the earthbender say before making it out of earshot.

The exit was just ahead, a guard stationed on both sides. "Could you direct me to my room? I'm not feeling well."

"Certainly, Master Katara," the one on the right said. "If you will please follow me…"

She glanced back in time to see Zuko speaking with the two benders before the doors slipped closed again.

The Jasmine Dragon was brightly lit with the brilliant blaze of the setting sun. Uncle had set down a fresh set of tea on a low table surrounded by sofas, occupied by the Firelord and his friends. Zuko glanced up, dourly watching Katara from his seat opposite her. She had been avoiding him since his coronation, and although it had been over a week, he still wasn't sure why. Every time he tried to talk to her, she slipped away, using some sort of pretext to excuse herself from his presence. Now she was sitting, legs curled up next to her, smiling and laughing with the rest of the gang, like nothing was wrong.

Sokka suddenly cried out in glee. The six others glanced over in surprise, and he gave a sheepish grin. "I wanted to do a painting, so we'd always remember the good times together."

Katara got up and went around to take a look. "That's very thoughtful of you Sokka. Wait…" Her brow puckered for an instant. She stabbed the paper with her finger. "Why did you give me Momo's ears?"

The rest of the group stood up to see the offending picture for themselves, each complaining about their portrayal while Sokka defended his art. Out of the corner of Zuko's eye, he saw Aang slip away, disappearing onto the garden view balcony.

"I…I'll be right back," the waterbender suddenly announced. She wandered toward the back of the teashop before following the Avatar.

The Firelord squirmed in his seat. Something didn't feel right. The sneaking around only raised his suspicions. Had he done something to offend her? If so, what?

He had to confront her. Good or bad, he couldn't stand the anxiety any longer. Standing, he excused himself before making his way in the direction Katara had gone.

There was no sound coming from the other side of the door. Zuko pulled the sliding door aside, but stopped partway.

Now he realized why the waterbender had been acting so elusive towards him.

Katara and Aang were caught up in each other's arms.

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes. Well. All done. I'm debating if I should do this over... Hopefully you enjoy it for what it is, right now. As always, comments are welcome!**

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The Firelord had never been one for waiting.

But it seemed that was how he was doomed to spend the rest of his day. The next morning would bring the return of the Fire Navy ships stationed abroad, and with them, Katara. It had been six weeks since he had seen her last. He had tried to correspond with her while she was gone, but there had been no reply to any of his letters. The anxiety had built up as he obsessively counted the days until her return to the Fire Nation. Now he paced within his bedroom, the light almost completely gone from his eastward-facing windows. He needed something to do, something to occupy his thoughts, at least for a little while. Zuko felt like he was going mad.

_I need some air,_ he decided. _I need to get out of the palace._

But how? It wasn't as if he could just walk out of the compound. At least two of the guards would have to accompany him wherever he went. If he wanted time alone, away from his Firelord duties, he was going to have to find another way out. A way that would allow him to leave without being recognized.

Zuko paused in step, his last thought repeating in his mind. A way to escape, unrecognized…

The trunk that had held the firebender's most prized possessions from the time when he was in banishment sat, dark and glossy, at the foot of his bed. He stared at it as if trying to see through its heavy exterior to the valuables hidden within. It had sat, unopened, for a good two months, the Fire Nation emblem emblazoned across the front and embossed onto the golden latches.

He couldn't remember everything that he had placed in that trunk over the last three years, but there were a few that he recalled with sharp clarity: his armor, the Avatar's wanted poster, a picture of his mother…

And the Blue Spirit. The black clothing, the dual swords, and the iconic blue mask.

It had taken a long time and more than a few under-the-table deals for Zuko to recover the mask from the bottom of Lake Laogai. He had sworn it was for sentimental reasons only, and that he would never again take to the streets under the Blue Spirit alias...but the intrigue it held for him now was almost unbearable. The temptation to disappear into the capital city for the night without responsibilities…it was Zuko's perfect escape.

He unlatched the buckles and lifted the lid, the well-oiled hinges moving without a sound. The dual blades rested in their sheath, their red hilts worn dull where the Firelord's hands had grasped them. Further in, the blue demon grinned at Zuko, taunting him. He pulled it out from beneath his other belongings and stared at the face that had frightened Fire Nation sentries for over a year. The reasons for donning the persona had changed as Zuko questioned his morals. One motive had remained constant: the need for anonymity.

After a few moments of deliberation, the Firelord reached back inside the truck to gather the Dao swords. If he was going out alone, he would need some sort of protection.

The lights of the Fire Nation capital blazed out of its shallow crater and into the early evening sky above. The gates to Harbor City were visible in the gloom from where Katara stood, the waves lapping gently against the hull of the massive ship as it glided towards its destination. The breeze was chilly, and the waterbender tightened her parka, burying her nose in the warm fur around the collar. In less than an hour, she was going to have to come face-to-face with Zuko. And Mai.

Thinking about it still made her cringe. Though she had tried to move on with Aang, her mind was still consumed by constant thoughts about the Firelord. He had sent her a total of four letters across the span of six weeks, all of which she had read fervently before dropping into the arctic sea, each time disappointed. He had expressed his desire to remain friends, even though she had gone her own way. It frustrated her that he had failed to mention his life at all—his future with Mai, the current status of political reform, how Iroh was doing—nothing. The words had sounded so impersonal, so disconnected.

Now Katara was returning to his home, determined to keep a strictly professional relationship with the firebender.

When the small troop of landed in Harbor City, an elderly woman was waiting on the pier, her heavy red robes making her look even more small and shrunken than she already was. She raised her eyebrows as the waterbender stopped in front of her with the rest of the soldiers, but did not comment. "My name is Jia. I am one of Firelord Zuko's household executives. The capital city is not ready to house you, as we were expecting your arrival tomorrow. I'm afraid you will have to take up lodgings here for the night, and continue up in the morning." She finally looked up at Katara. "My apologies, Master Katara; I was not aware that this was your transport."

"It's no problem. I'm fine with sleeping wherever you need me to."

"No, no, it is not proper for you to…ah…'bunk up' with the men," Jia insisted. "I'm sure that we can prepare your suite in an hour or so, if we depart for the Caldera immediately." The old woman ushered for the girl to follow her to a covered platform with footmen stationed in front and behind. Katara was wary of the men as she sat in one of the two chairs located inside the gazebo-type structure.

Jia joined her with a heavy sigh. "Relax, my dear. We shall be there soon." She snapped her fingers, and the men bent to clutch wooden poles that had originally gone unnoticed by the waterbender. The ground suddenly became unstable beneath Katara's feet and she yelped in surprise. Having lifted the small platform, the footmen began walking in the direction of the jagged, zig-zagging path to the top of the crater.

"Ah, Jia…," she started worriedly. "I really don't feel comfortable being carried—"

"Master Katara, if I may," Jia interrupted, "the culture of the Fire Nation is really quite different from that in the Water Tribe. Would you deny the honor of serving the Firelord and his guests?" She turned her gaze to the girl, her gray eyes sharp.

The waterbender swallowed and tightened her grip on the cushioned seat, but bit her tongue. She continued to eye the men guiltily as they carried the women up the steep trail.

The pair sat in awkward silence until they passed over the lip of the crater and the capital city was finally spread out before them. Jia finally spoke again. "Firelord Zuko will be most upset that we did not properly arrange for your arrival."

Katara blinked. "He's been talking about it?"

"Of course. He has been very specific that we show his dear friend everything the Fire Nation has to offer."

This new bit of information startled her. If he was so concerned for his dear friend, why hadn't he written anything of importance in his letters? Why did she feel so betrayed and rejected?

"Will he be meeting us?" she asked nervously.

"Not tonight," Jia replied coolly. "He has retired to his suite for the evening."

Katara frowned. "Retired? It's hardly late."

Jia's eyes blazed for a moment. "You may ask the Firelord about his sleeping habits in the morning. But for now—" The platform was lowered, and the small woman rose up languidly. She smiled, and continued, "—if you'll come with me, I will show you to your rooms."

The foyer was much darker now as Katara hurried to follow the lady. They twisted through hall after hall until eventually reaching a pair of ornate wooden doors.

"This is your suite," Jia told her. "Your bags have already been taken care of. All rooms on this floor belong to ambassadors and personal friends of the Firelord. His quarters are also here, down the hall. Goodnight, Master Katara." She gave the waterbender a shallow bow before making an abrupt about-face and walking back in the direction she had come.

Katara stood at the entrance to her rooms for a few moments before taking off down the hall. She was going to talk to Zuko, whether he wanted to or not. She needed to clear the air, and be debriefed on the happenings in the throne room. She wandered down the wide hallway until she came to a familiar intersection. She turned right and found the room where she had seen Mai and Zuko a month and a half ago.

She knocked and waited.

And waited.

_This is taking too long, _the waterbender thought. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door aside, stalking into the room. "Listen, Zuko, I—"

She stopped. The room was empty. And the window was wide open.

The moon was just beginning to rise above Caldera as Zuko climbed out his window and onto the roof, black cloth covering his body and the demon mask secured firmly on his head. He slid down the red clay shingles to the eaves, determined to make as little noise as possible. He dropped a level, landing of the eave of the lower floor. A loose shingle broke off and shattered under his foot, falling onto the pavilion below. The patrol, usually half-asleep at this hour, suddenly jerked into awareness, his eyes falling on the broken piece of clay and then drifting upwards towards the roof.

But the Blue Spirit was already gone.

The streets of the capital were relatively empty, a fact that surprised the Firelord. He walked in the shadows, just in case, but for the most part, he was alone. It had rained that morning, and the alleys were littered with puddles of dark water. The air was damp and made Zuko's shirt stick to the back of his neck.

It felt exciting to be back under the mask, under the cover of secrecy. The heaviness of the dual Dao blades felt right against his back, as though they had never been gone. He pulled them out of their sheaths, weighed them in his grip. He slowly began to move them, thrusting through the air and parrying invisible blows. The movements became faster and faster until Zuko was madly swinging the swords in a strange dance of unseen battle.

He stopped suddenly, his breath coming hard and fast through his nose. He was more in practice than he thought he would be; a pleasant revelation. Using the blades for protection would conceal the man's firebending nicely if he was ever in a position to defend himself.

An unexpected flicker of red flashed from the corner of his eye. He whirled, weapons raised, but there was nothing.

Zuko was suddenly guarded. Was someone following him? Was it just his imagination? He crept toward the end of the passage, where the figure had supposedly disappeared around the corner. He paused at the turn, poking his head around the edge of the building to see down the next alley.

There was a woman at the far end. She wore a hat and veil, but was looking up, and the moon outlined her profile in such a way that she looked almost like a spirit.

_The Painted Lady._

Zuko had only heard rumors about the mysterious spirit, her unusual methods of protecting the river she lived from. He had no idea why she would have appeared so far from her home, or why she was staring at the stars with such intensity, standing stock still in the middle of the street.

The second thing he noticed was the dark figure concealed in the shadows of the storefront a few yards away. He made it out to be a man. He was slowly making his way toward the lady, making sure his movements went undetected. Zuko's mouth tightened beneath the mask, and he turned the corner, following the man with his blades drawn.

They were almost to the woman when she turned, her arms coming up defensively. The assailant, realizing the element of surprise was lost to him, stepped forward aggressively, reaching out to pin her arms against her sides and press her into the wall opposite him.

At the same moment Zuko broke into a run toward them, water exploded into the alley and amassed around the struggling girl and her attacker. Water whips pulled the man away, sending him crashing into the ground. Ice froze him to the cobblestones.

The Firelord stopped. Only one person he knew could command the element so completely, and she wasn't scheduled to arrive until tomorrow.

The woman collected herself and turned to the Blue Spirit, ready to take him down. He shook his head, replaced the Dao swords in their sheaths and raised his hands in surrender.

"What? Too scared?" Katara's voice came to him, dark and taunting, from beneath the veil. "Are you afraid, after what I did to your buddy?"

He shook his head more vigorously this time. His voice died in his throat, so he jabbed his finger in the direction of the unconscious man and tried to show his disassociation with him.

She caught his meaning. "A masked hero, huh? Well, I don't need your help, as you can see."

He stepped closer, hoping to see her face through the hazy fabric. It was impossible to believe she was really here. Was it his imagination? She didn't look like an illusion. She didn't look like a spirit.

In response to his advance, she backed away. "You're not the only one who wants to keep their identity a secret," she warned him.

No, he decided, she was very much real, and very much here. His eyes wandered again to the goon trapped against the stone alleyway, and the gravity of their situation suddenly hit. If Katara hadn't been paying attention—if Zuko had been a few moments later—

The waterbender sighed. "I should just go home. I don't know why I thought I'd be able to find Zuko out here…" She paused. "Pretend you didn't hear that."

Behind his mask, Zuko frowned, confused, but he couldn't disagree with her. She belonged in the palace, safe. He nodded and moved sideways, leaving the alley open for her. She began to walk away, but whirled on him when he began to follow. "Don't tag along. I don't want to see you again, got it?"

He realized she wasn't going to let him just walk along beside her. Instead, he pointed to her, then to him, and then beckoned her to come with him.

"You're not going to say a word to me, are you?" she grumbled. "Alright. Where are we going?"

The mysterious man led her down several random-seeming turns, until she had lost all sense of direction. Instead of focusing on their destination, Katara began to focus on the masked stranger. She was beginning to think he wasn't a stranger at all.

It was the way he moved that first alerted her. He was cautious, but never unsure when he stepped forward, the swords glinting in his hands, prepared for anything.

The next was how he had kept a strict vow of silence the entire time. Did he not want her to know it was him? Why?

They made a final turn and suddenly they were in front of the palace, the plaza opening up before them.

That was the final straw. She crossed her arms and faced the boy. "I know it's you."

"I figured." His voice, slightly muffled by the mask, broke through to her, the words throwing her off guard. He ripped off the disguise, exposing his scarred face, twisted in anger. "Katara, what are you _doing_ here?"

"My ship came in early."

"It's not safe for you to be out here alone."

Irritation began to rise up inside her. "_You're_ out here alone."

"That's different."

"Oh, _really_?" She rolled her eyes and yanked the hat off her head. "_How_?"

The firebender flushed, her sarcasm hitting home. Mumbling, he managed to say, "I can take care of myself."

"And I can't?" She glared indignantly at him. "I'm just as capable as you!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ugh. I know that. I'm sorry. I'm just confused. You aren't…I thought you were coming in the morning. I'm just surprised, is all." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's good to finally see you."

She blushed, embarrassed, but continued her accusations. "I went to go talk to you when I got here, but you were gone. And what are _you_ doing out here? Wearing _that_?" She jabbed her finger at the demon mask, smiling impishly from between his fingers.

The Firelord's face turned even redder. "I—I needed to clear my head."

"So you dress like some sort of—_thief_ and escape through your window?"

He frowned. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. This—" he lifted the mask so that she could see the grinning face for clearly "—is a lot more than a costume I put on from time to time."

"That's the mask of the Blue Spirit, isn't it?" she asked, her voice low. He didn't answer her. "Don't think Aang never told me about what happened in that fortress with Zhao. I've seen that mask on Fire Nation wanted posters."

Zuko was silent for a minute. "That was the first time I ever used it. My uncle and I… We had each gone our own way at that point. When I saw the posters…" His eyes met hers, swimming with regret. "I was more lost at that point in my life than I had ever been before, or since. Betraying my own country, so that I could restore my honor? It was backwards and twisted and underhanded, but in my gut I knew what I was doing was right. My motives may have been shallow at the time, but I know now that if I hadn't rescued the Avatar, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Katara was at first rendered speechless. She had known Zuko had struggled with right and wrong before, but never had she thought it had gone so far. "…So, what made you put it on tonight?"

His brow puckered. "It's difficult to describe. I—" He cut off abruptly and started over, looking over toward the looming façade of his home. Stiffly, he told her, "It's against regulation for the Firelord to go unescorted outside the palace."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Zuko sighed. "I know. But I can't—not now. There's too much…unresolved between us."

The statement hung in the air between them. They regarded each other, his gaze questioning, hers condemning. Neither said a word for a time.

"How is Mai?" she whispered.

The Firelord glowered. "I haven't heard much from her since the coronation… Why do you ask?"

Katara scoffed. "You want to know why I _ask_? Zuko, I know about the two of you. I've known the whole time."

"Known _what_ the whole time?"

_He's going to make me say it, isn't he? _she thought bitterly. She swallowed, preparing herself. "I saw you two kissing before the ceremony."

She couldn't look him in the eye. How could she? They were getting into dangerous territory now, so she decided to continue on before he could speak. "You have no idea how I felt, Zuko. I thought, when you told me you'd wait… I thought you meant forever—or until I decided, at least. So when you—" she stopped, the words choking off in her throat. "I gave Aang his chance. But I haven't seen him in weeks, and when I do see him, it's like he's constantly distracted. I know he's the Avatar, but—"

"Katara."

Her voice faded as she noticed the strange sparkle in his eye. "What?" she asked nervously.

He shook his head disbelievingly. "Katara, what you saw was a misunderstanding. Mai and I both realized we didn't want to be together. She was saying goodbye."

She sniffed. "That's not what I heard."

He rubbed the back of his neck again, and Katara wondered in the back of her mind if it was a nervous tic. "Well, you didn't really get to hear that part. It sort of came after the kiss." He smiled hesitantly at her. "So…I guess I thought I _was_ still waiting."

The waterbender rubbed her temples. "I should have just talked to you about it."

"You didn't respond to my letters," he said suddenly.

The guilt came back easily, almost an instinctive thing now. "I know. And it was stupid and immature for me to hold a grudge, but I just couldn't imagine writing like everything was fine between us; not after what you—what I thought you did. I'm sorry."

He nodded, his thoughts distracting him for a minute as they eased into silence. Internally, Katara was relieved that he had never really betrayed her. At the same time, she felt ridiculous for being so stubborn and not working things out between Zuko. He was the one person who she could trust completely and speak her mind to. He didn't judge her for her feelings, and instead helped her channel the emotions that tore at her. Resolving their differences made her feel almost…complete, somehow.

"Let's get inside," the firebender suggested with a smile. "It's getting late, and you still need to be updated on the Fire Nation's state of affairs."

Katara returned the smile willingly. "Sounds like a great idea."

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Illness does nothing to help the writing process. Sorry this took so long, but at least it's done, right? Anyway, please review. I'd like to hear what you have to say.**

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The throne room of the Firelord was just as ornate as the rest of the palace, but in a more dark and intimidating way. The ebony and gold detailing made the room seem smaller than it actually was. Katara wondered just how wide the space was, since its left and right walls were shrouded in darkness. The room was lit by a line of fire that covered the length of a large dais at the front. It was dim now, and the light cast only the faintest glow on Zuko's face as he meditated. As the waterbender moved towards him, she noticed that the flames were actually flickering in time to his breathing, growing slightly larger when he inhaled and diminishing to almost nothing as he exhaled. With his regal apparel and topknot, he looked every part the Fire Nation sovereign, she noticed. At times she forgot that there was another side to the firebender, the side that had been groomed for this position since birth.

"Have you satisfied your curiosity?" Zuko's voice was calm and quiet, his lips hardly moving. He opened his eyes, the liquid gold making her heart beat faster for a minute.

He took in her guilty expression and smirked. "Did you have to see for yourself that I really _am_ the Firelord? That the boy with the mark of dishonor has truly reached his goal?" He touched the pink scar tissue below his eye thoughtfully. "Sometimes I find it hard to believe myself."

"Isn't it strange? Coming back to this place, after everything that's happened?" She finally reached the platform, the light flickering bright in her eyes. Tentatively, she reached her fingers out and ran them through the flame, too fast to burn, but too slow to go unmarked. Black covered the tips of her fingers when she brought them up to her face for inspection.

He mulled over her question as she repeated the action. "Fire can cause a lot of damage," he mused aloud. "But it's also a tool for renewal."

Katara paused, locking eyes with the firebender. "I don't understand."

He sighed. "There are forest fires in nature all the time. At first, it seems like they destroy a lot more than they create, but after a few years—" At this point he smiled. "—new life starts. A new generation. It's the same thing that's happened in the Fire Nation. My father and his father caused a lot of harm. More than that—they obliterated an entire people. But now the world is at peace, and there's time for rebuilding. I want to be a part of the process. Is it strange for me to be here? Of course. But what we're doing here is real, and important. I can't miss this opportunity just because of my past. In fact, it's _because_ of my past that I'm here."

"That's very noble of you." She rested on her arms, leaning forward towards him, over the fire. "Very…_insightful_." She remembered thinking about his perceptiveness, before…

She pushed herself away, trying to clear her head. Since being around Zuko, since the night she arrived, she had started to have second thoughts about Aang. It was difficult, when she was alone with the Firelord, to compare the two—or even to remember that she was supposed to be in a relationship with the Avatar. She would find herself gravitating toward the firebender, just like she was doing now, and then she would see Aang's face in her mind, and she'd get pulled back into reality.

_How noble of you._

Zuko recalled the words his father had said to him, on the day of Black Sun, when he had confronted the Firelord in his underground bunker. The bitter, mocking words still haunted the firebender's dreams with sick regularity.

_How noble of you._

Now, even after being defeated, his bending gone, and thrown into the Tower on the outskirts of the capital city, Ozai ridiculed his son. He spat the words at the new Firelord from the dark cell that held him. He was a prideful man, and would be until the day he died. He would hold true to his crazy delusions of world domination forever, and would never break.

Which is why Zuko hadn't returned to the prison after his first visit.

Asking the man about his mother had gotten him nowhere. He remained obstinate, no matter how enraged the boy became. He would not give one clue as to where the Firelady had gone, who was responsible for her banishment, or whether she was even still alive.

_Maybe he doesn't know himself._

Zuko shoved the thought from his mind. He had to have kept tabs on his wife, banished or no… There had to be some sort of record, something in the palace that could give him a lead.

"Zuko?"

The Firelord blinked, his thoughts scattered by the waterbender's voice. "What?"

"Are you alright?" her cerulean eyes were wide with concern. "You seem…agitated. Distracted."

"Do I?"

"_Yes_." Irritation flared up in her voice, and he refocused on her face. Her arms were crossed and she regarded him contemptuously. "Were you even listening to me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Katara. It's just…something you said—it got me thinking…" Suddenly an idea sprang to his mind, and as he leaned toward her, the flames illuminating the room burned brighter. "Katara, do you remember when I helped you find Yon Rha?"

Her eyes darkened at the memory. "Of course."

"I need you to help me now." He examined her reaction, reading for any signs of uncertainty, but the master bender was watching him with a bleak look.

"I'm listening."

Katara had to focus in order to remember where exactly she was supposed to be headed. The hallways and randomly branching wings of the palace had gotten her turned around and lost multiple times before. Zuko had given her detailed instructions as to where and how she should go about looking for information on the former Firelady. She counted the number of hallways she passed before turning left, delving deeper into the palace. She passed several strangers—probably Fire Nation nobles and other ambassadors—before arriving at an inconspicuous door made of dark wood. The girl double-checked to be certain she was alone before opening the door and accessing the room on the other side.

At first, she thought she had the wrong door. A narrow hallway stretched out a yard or two before making a sharp left turn. There was one lamp in upper right-hand corner, where the wall and the ceiling met, light flickering weakly from behind its grimy red glass.

_A service entrance, _she realized. _There was no way I would get inside, otherwise._

She coughed as she shut the door behind her. These back-way entrances weren't cleaned nearly as meticulously as the rest of the palace, and the dust was making her eyes water. She hurried to the connecting door and pulled it open, trying to move on before she started sneezing.

The royal bedchamber was larger than Katara had even imagined. She had thought her quarters were big and luxurious, but in comparison to this, she was living in a closet. A giant four-poster bed with a deep red silk coverlet dominated the room, flanked by chests on either side. A fireplace surrounded by low sofas and a heavy rug faced the bed. Three doors lined the walls, two open and dark, one closed. A glass door leading onto a balcony allowed the sun to stream in and cast strange shadows on the faint gold walls.

Zuko had told her the first door right of the bed would be the right one. She eyed the nearest door to her—the one that led out to the private lounge, according to the firebender—to be certain that she was, indeed, alone. She made her way to the desired entryway and slipped inside.

This room was unlit, and so Katara uncorked her water pouch and removed a small amount of her element. She made the drop spin in her hand, and it began to glow mutedly. She had done a similar trick with the water from the Spirit Oasis the night she had healed Aang after Azula shot him through with lightning. This water did not have nearly the same caliber of healing capability, but it would do for lighting her way.

This had been Ozai's private office—most likely where he kept most of his most clandestine and intimate business. A heavy wooden desk sat in the middle of the room, a map of the world pressed beneath its protective glass top. Cabinets covered every available space. She quickly made her way to the nearest one, pulling it open and peering inside.

Boxes, of varying depth, filled the drawer almost to the top. She pulled one of the thinner ones out. Bound in red ribbon, the Fire Nation insignia was emblazed across the front and gold trim lined the edges. She set the box on the desk, pulled apart the knot and lifted the lid.

Documents were stacked neatly inside, bound together by yet more ribbon. Katara pulled one of the sheets up, reading the writing by the light of her element.

_Self-propelled war wagons…attack balloons…Northern Air Temple Colony—_

She set the papers back in their container. They weren't what she was looking for.

As she replaced the box in its drawer, she noticed that the cabinet was labeled with the letter W. For war weapons.

Zuko had anticipated some sort of organizational system. _Look for something under Firelady, _he had suggested. _Or Ursa._

Hurriedly, Katara began to rummage through the files for anything on the missing woman. Nothing seemed to turn up. She looked up everything Zuko had suggested, along with several others, including _banishment_—in which she found his name, but not his mother's.

Frustrated, she dropped the papers down on the desk and sat in the straight-backed chair. She had scoured every possible title for the papers, and looked through every single file under each title. Nothing.

She pushed away from the table, about to leave empty-handed, when her fingers came across something cool and hard. She paused, exploring the unfamiliar object with her touch before ducking down to take a look.

It was a padlock, its large keyhole staring back at her blankly. She grinned and flicked her wrist expertly, transforming her dim illuminator into a water blade. With quick precision, she sliced at the metal until it dropped to the floor with a loud _thunk_. Hastily opening the now-unlocked drawer, Katara examined the contents with a careful eye. She felt her heart beat faster as she spotted the corner of a worn picture frame. The waterbender pulled it out, drawing it to the light.

Her breath caught in her throat. In the frame was a painting of Ursa, and two children. The little girl was tiny and perfect, and knelt in front of the Firelady with a look of one who was less than pleased. Katara could only guess that this was Azula.

The boy was somewhat older looking, and beamed eagerly from his position by her side. The woman's arms were wrapped around him affectionately.

She ran her finger across Zuko's unscarred face. He looked so different, now. Less innocent. Grown up.

The waterbender set the portrait aside and scanned the rest of the secret file. She easily located the desired file and closed the drawer. The box was slim and lightweight, and there were only a few papers inside with unfamiliar names and large sums of money. The former Firelady's name appeared a few times on the page, and that was enough for her. She placed the box gently in her bag and prepared to leave. After only a slight deliberation, she snatched the picture up as well.

"I don't know the names of any of these people," Zuko told her, exasperated, as they sat together in his lounge. "Gao Chen, Jin Fong, Li We—none of them are nobles. Not _one_." He ran his hands through his loose hair. "This is impossible."

"There _has_ to be a connection," the waterbender murmured, scanning one of the documents that was spread across the low table between them. "Ozai didn't just randomly put the names of these people in a file—a file about _your mom_—and put it in a locked compartment in his desk."

The Firelord leaned back, resting his neck along the back of his chair. They had been going at this for over five hours. He glared at the clock on the end table next to him, now displaying that it was well past two in the morning. "Look at them, Katara," he said. "A lot of these people are shopkeepers and fishermen in Harbor City. Some of them don't even live on the mainland. How are they involved in the banishment of my mother?"

"I don't know!" she burst. "I don't know, Zuko, but they are. They have to be." She pulled the next paper out of the file and stared, not seeing the words on the page.

He moved so that he was sitting next to her and drew the manuscript out of her hand. "I think we should stop." He set it aside and helped her stand. "The whole thing was a long shot, anyway. I appreciate the help."

"I just wish it had gotten us somewhere," she said regretfully. She paused at the door, eyes widening suddenly. "There's something else."

She hurried back to where she had been sitting, snatched up her bag, and began rummaging through it. When she removed her hand, she had a small portrait frame in her fingers.

"What's that?" he asked her as she walked back. She gave it to him without a word, her aqua eyes holding as many questions as his.

The firebender felt his features freeze as he took in the image of his mother. Ursa smiled at her son with kind, affectionate eyes. Wise eyes.

"I don't want you to lose hope," Katara told him. "We _will_ find out what happened to her. I owe it to you."

"This isn't your fight. You did what I asked you to; that's all you owe me."

"Then let me do this for me." She frowned. "I know what it's like to lose a mother. I know what it's like to be left with nothing. But I also know what it's like to find closure. And I want that for you, Zuko. So don't give up now."

He nodded, unable to speak.

Her eyes lit up suddenly as she scanned the painting in his hand. "You were so cute when you were little. So much different than you are, now."

Zuko half-smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

She blushed furiously, trying to backtrack. "I mean, not that you're _not_ good-looking now—not that I was looking—" She shook her head. "I only meant that, well, you look a lot more innocent, without the—"

"Scar. I know."

The Firelord felt a strange warming feeling in his lower abdomen. It felt good to be taking to Katara like this again. He had missed her over the past two months.

The waterbender's cheeks darkened as the silence lengthened. "I…I should go." She gathered her things, pulling her bag over her shoulder and tucking her hair behind her ear. She rushed past him, but he caught her elbow.

"Thank you."

She nodded and left.

Zuko sighed and went back to the table, collecting the papers and replacing them in their file.

Gao Chen, Jin Fong, Li We. The names meant nothing to him. He scratched his head. How did his father _know_ any of these people? Whenever Zuko needed something done, he just told—

His eyes widened. _That's the connection!_

"Katara!"

The firebender dropped the scroll and ran out into the hall, ripping the door out of his way. She was only halfway back to her room when he caught up to her. She swung around, eyes widening as she took in the sight of the seemingly-crazed Firelord. "Zuko! What's—"

"The connection! I found it!"

Her brow puckered. "But we couldn't find anything for hours. How did you—"

"It's Jia. Jia organizes everything in the palace. She wrote the documents in the file. She knows what happened to my mother."

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yes, well. This was a failure of a chapter. I'll probably redo it, eventually. Hopefully, though, this helps tide people over until next time... It could be a while. Anyway, enjoy!**

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Treaty meetings always gave Zuko a headache. He rubbed his temples as the inspired Earth Kingdom ambassador continued his rant.

"We can't have the threat of a Fire Nation naval or military power looming over our heads. Numbers need to be reduced _significantly,_ or— better yet—departments need to be shut down all together." The man's beard, which came to a point some inches from his chin, quivered as he gave a final nod and crossed his arms across his broad chest. Several of those gathered murmured their assent, but the Firelord was already shaking his head. "I've already ordered all of my forces to return home. They're no longer a danger to your people. There's no reason why I should diminish my troops."

Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe leaned forward in his seat and pointed a finger at the firebender. "Your troops _decimated_ our sister tribe and captured every last waterbender residing there. They caused _severe_ damage to our city during the siege last winter—"

"Which I have already agreed to pay back _in full_," he growled. "I know where my dues are owed, and I am ready to reimburse anyone for any damage brought about during the war. But I will not reduce my forces just to make you feel safer. You should hold trust in my word. I have already promised I will not use my military or navy for anything other than defense."

"I don't think you understand, Firelord Zuko." The chief said, frowning. "The Fire Nation has just lost a war that could have potentially destroyed the entire world—a war that was started by _your _great-grandfather. Do you really think that we can trust you on your _honor_?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything, instead glaring down the Water Tribe leader across the table. The other dignitaries shifted uncomfortably as the tense silence stretched out, seemingly endless. Unexpectedly, Katara cleared her throat. She had been sitting quietly for the majority of the conference, blue eyes shifting from speaker to speaker, and sometimes drifting to the firebender's before quickly snapping away. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to her, and she blushed under their gaze.

"Zuko—the Firelord—has a point. He's compensating you all for everything that his ancestors have done and removed all forces from your territories. From _our_ territories."

The older man's frown grew more pronounced. "Not to be rude, Katara, but shouldn't your _brother_ be representing the South Pole at this meeting? Being the oldest, and, ahem, more _experienced_ sibling in this field, I would have expected Chief Hakoda to have asked him to join us."

At this jab, Iroh, who was sitting to Zuko's right, spoke up. "Excuse me, Chief Arnook, but if I may speak... Master Katara, being a very powerful waterbender, is just as capable in the area of combat as her brother. I would assume that Sokka is busy with duties at home, seeing as his father is in the North Pole, rebuilding your city. Her opinion is just as valid as anyone's."

Zuko shot his uncle a grateful look. The former general was a big help in these tedious debates, which oftentimes would escalate into shouting matches, accusations flying. It was no surprise that negotiations were getting nowhere.

"The point is, _you're_ on the losing end of this war," the bearded Earth Kingdom man stated. "You shouldn't be making any demands, or refuting ours." He pushed away from the table, and stood. "Either you comply, or we form a blockade."

Katara's eyes widened in alarm. "You can't do that! The treaty—"

"If the Firelord doesn't agree to what we are requiring of him, then there _is_ no treaty," the man spat. He sneered at Zuko. "Just a boy playing war."

The firebender shot up from his chair, smoke escaping from his nostrils. "I am _not_ incompetent. When I say I won't reduce my troops, I mean it. Threats won't make me back down."

The other men swiftly rose, their eyes darting between the two angry dignitaries. Iroh and Katara were the only ones who remained seated.

"I think," the old man said from his place at the table, "it is time for a recess."

The waterbender sat stony-faced in the garden and watched her refection in the turtle-duck pond. Her mouth was pressed into a hard line and her eyebrows were scrunched down low over her stormy eyes. She looked angry.

"I liked that rock." Zuko's face came into view beside hers, his golden eyes catching hers in the water.

Katara turned to the firebender. "Oh really?"

He reached up with one hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

She shrugged and turned back to the water, not in the mood for their usual banter. "Well, sorry."

There were a few seconds of tense silence before the Firelord sighed and sat down next to her. "Listen, what they said in there, about you… They obviously don't know what they're talking about."

"That's not what I'm upset about." The girl closed her eyes. "They were all so dead-set against you. They don't know you, Zuko. Not like I do. They don't understand that you're different than your father." She bit her lip and set her eyes on his face. "Zuko…he was serious about the blockade."

"I know." He stared out across the pond grimly.

"And you'd do that just to keep the military the same size?"

He looked at her then, quietly reading her face. "It's not about the military."

"Then—"

He cut her off. "I can't just let them tell me what to do. I'm not just a kid they can push around. For them to treat me like a leader, I have to act like a leader."

"You're willing to go to war over this?"

He blinked. "No. No, not that far; never that far."

She set her hand on his shoulder briefly. "Then I think you need to compromise. At least on this point."

The boy nodded slowly, and relief flowed through the waterbender. Maybe she really could handle being an ambassador.

"I used to come to this garden with my mother," Zuko told her. "Back before…everything."

The waterbender pulled at the grass near her feet. "Have you talked to Jia yet?"

His eyes darkened. "No. She's been gone, organizing the return of the navy. She's in Fire Fountain City."

"We're going to find out what happened to her," she promised.

"I know. I'm just worried about what we're going to find."

"What do you mean?"

The firebender let out a frustrated sigh. "Look. The day I was sent into exile, my mother disappeared. For almost three years, I thought that she was dead. Then, on the day of the eclipse, my father told me that she _wasn't_ dead—she had been banished, same as me.

"After my coronation, I had Jia and some others look through those files. They gave me more information than I could have ever imagined. My father had kept extremely meticulous records on practically everything—Fire Nation colonies, movements of the Water Tribe fleets, weapon developments—but there was nothing about my mother. At least, not that I had found. Yesterday, when I asked you to go back, I didn't really expect you to find anything. But it was the only place I could think of that could harbor some sort of clue as to where she had gone."

Katara stared at him, mesmerized by this confession. Zuko's mouth twitched, one half of his mouth pulling down. He read her reaction with guarded eyes, liquid gold making her stomach twist into strange knots.

She felt guilty. She was with Aang now. The Fire Nation sovereign shouldn't have this kind of effect on her anymore. And yet, he was still appealing to her, in a way that Aang would never be. The connection she felt with Zuko was real.

Not that what she felt for Aang wasn't. But it was different, and she was starting to think that it wasn't a good kind of different.

"And then, when you came back with that box… I haven't had that much optimism since the day I joined your group. I thought that we might actually discover where she went. But then we went for hours and hours, looking through those papers… I started to lose hope. It was turning into a dead end before we had even gotten anywhere.

"I thought—after the war ended, she would be safe to come home. So my question is: why hasn't she? Something must have happened to her, something that would prevent her from coming back." His fists tightened on his knees. "I've already lost her once; I don't know if I can lose her again."

The conference room felt smaller, the egos of the men having grown considerably since they had last convened. As each notable took his seat, it became clear to the Firelord that the break hadn't cooled anyone's temper. He met the Earth Kingdom man's green-eyed glare with an emotionless mask.

"Forgive me for my temper earlier today," he began. "But please try to understand. If I agree to what you're asking, it would be a disgrace and embarrassment to my people. The Fire Nation deserves to be a player in the world's politics, and depleting my forces would reduce the influence I have in this council."

The Water Tribe chief grumbled, "That's the point."

Zuko frowned. "I am willing to compromise. I _will_ reduce my active units—there's no need for them—but not as severely as you originally planned. Do we have a deal?"

The men glanced at each other, eyebrows raised. The firebender caught Katara's small smile. "I think the Firelord has made a valid point, and a fine proposal," she offered. "I am willing to cooperate, on behalf of the Southern Water Tribe."

"It _is_ a reasonable offer," Chief Arnook admitted, rubbing his chin. "I would not be objected to the idea. _Some_ reduction is better than _no_ reduction." He turned to the earthbender. "General Fong? What say you?"

The general crossed his arms and leaned back. "I still believe the most effective and assured way to protect our people would be to eliminate the Fire Nation military completely."

Zuko noticed the waterbender's expression harden. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at the man. "General Fong. Do you remember me?"

He smiled amiably at her. "Of course. You're the girl who was traveling with the Avatar to Omashu. How could I forget?"

She was unmoved. "And do you remember how you thought that the most _effective_ and _assured_ way to defeat Ozai was to force Aang into the Avatar State?"

"I—"

"And that the most _effective_ and _assured_ way to do that was to _bury me in stone_?"

Zuko stood, his chair scraping backward against the dark marble floor. His voice, when he finally spoke, was deadly, low and threatening. "You did _what_?"

The council froze.

"It happened a long time ago," the waterbender eventually muttered.

Iroh reached up and clutched the sleeve of the Firelord in his firm grip. Their eyes met, and a look of understanding passed between them. The old general's tone was quiet but firm. "Zuko, calm yourself."

He stared at the table as he sat, as if the power of his glare alone could burn a hole in the fine wood. The extreme over-protectiveness he felt for the waterbender was unsettling, and inappropriate for a friend. Of course, he knew that he considered the girl as more than a friend. But she was the Avatar's girl, and although the thought made his throat constrict painfully, he had to learn to restrain himself and accept that she had moved on.

"My point is, General, that your judgment had been flawed in the past," Katara continued, her voice steely. "We all have to be willing to give a little to maintain peace."

"Well?" Chief Arnook asked the earthbender.

The man's mouth twisted in a grimace as he realized defeat was inevitable. "Very well."

Katara was restless, pacing across her bedroom floor in her bedclothes and bare feet. The moon was reaching its peak, and yet the waterbender could not find it in her to crawl into the oversized, silk-sheeted bed.

It was only her first day as an acting ambassador and the stress was already beginning to get to her. She didn't know how Zuko got through it without letting it affect his everyday life.

She rubbed her temples. That was the problem—all these talks of retributions and trade _were_ his everyday life. Growing up in the palace, he would already be comfortable with negotiating with foreign dignitaries for hours on end. The day-to-day struggles the waterbender had back home were nowhere near as mind-exhausting. Cooking, gathering firewood, and watching the young kids of the tribe seemed like trivial work in comparison to the constant threat of war that hung over Zuko's head. Conflicts were much more difficult to resolve when both sides were unwilling to cooperate. She felt like she had to be the mediator between the two extremes.

Katara smiled. She kind of liked calming Zuko down. It made her feel like he needed her.

_Stop,_ she chastised herself directly. What was wrong with her? He couldn't possibly still want a relationship with her…could he? Not after everything that had happened…

_He's too honorable. He'd never want to hurt Aang like that._

But it was so difficult to remember the airbender when she was with Zuko. They had so much in common—it was almost impossible not to bare her soul when they were alone. And it seemed that it was the same way for the Firelord.

The waterbender groaned and crashed onto the red duvet, face-down. She had come here promising herself a strict, professional relationship with him, and yet here she was, already caught up in indecision again. She couldn't spend months here with this guilty uncertainty as her constant companion. She would have to leave.

_But_—

The thought of leaving the Fire Nation, of leaving _him_—the pain in her chest was enough to make her moan into the coverlet. This wasn't like when she left Aang. This idea was unbearable. Unimaginable.

And she couldn't leave him now, not when they were on their way to tracking down Ursa. No, Zuko needed her help now more than ever. It wouldn't be right to go.

A sudden persistent knocking jarred Katara and caused her to leap back to her feet. She crossed the carpeted floor quickly, opening the door to her lounge hesitantly.

There was no one there, although the sharp rapping continued.

The confused girl took a step back into her room, trying to find the origin of the sound. Slowly she realized that it was coming from one of the dark paneled walls.

"Hello?" she called hesitantly.

The knocking immediately ceased. "Katara?"

"_Zuko_?"

The concealed door swung outward and the black-clad Firelord stepped out of the hallway behind it. "Thank Agni—I was starting to think you weren't here, and I was really starting to get claustrophobic in—"

Zuko throat abruptly went dry and the words faded off as he realized the waterbender was wearing next to nothing in terms of clothing. The dusky brown skin of her legs went uninterrupted until mid-thigh, and he could see the beginnings of her bindings peeking through the top of her short, loosely-tied robe. He felt the heat of the flush rising to his face, and he swallowed dryly in an effort to compose himself.

Katara crossed her arms over her chest, stuck her lip out slightly, and narrowed her eyes, apparently noticing his distracted stare. "What are you _doing_?" she asked him in a venomous tone, but her cheeks darkened in embarrassment.

He blushed even more, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and said nothing. He had known it was late; he just didn't think that she would be standing in front of him…like _this_. He pulled at the collar of his shirt apprehensively and gripped the Blue Spirit mask tighter. The hard edge of the mask reminded him of his mission, and he started again, his voice returning to him. "I'm sorry I woke you. But I was looking through those documents again, and I found the name of a man—Xiang Cho. He's a papermaker in Harbor City."

The girl glowered, but he could tell that her interest was piqued. "So?"

"_So_, the man knows all about how official papers are made, and what they have to look like," he explained. "When I was a fugitive in the Earth Kingdom, I learned that being a papermaker also means you know how to forge false documents."

Her eyes were wary as she took in his meaning. "So you're saying that Jia had documents forged for your mother?"

"It would explain why no one can find her," he replied. "The only name we've ever looked for is Ursa… It was the only one we had."

The waterbender's eyes drifted down to where he still held the demon mask. "And what are you doing with that?"

He met her eyes. "I think you know."

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Tada! I actually managed to finish something in less than a week! This is the double-edited version of this chapter, in case some of you read it earlier. After you're done you can, you know, click on that review button and make my day. Just a thought.  


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Harbor City was far livelier after dark than the capital city of Caldera. Lamps illuminated the main streets and music echoed down the cobbled alleys, fast-paced and inviting. Fishermen, artisans, and others mingled together, pouring out of pubs to drink and dance in the street. It was the end of a long week's work, and the celebration would go late into the night.

Zuko frowned behind the blue mask, concealed in the shadows of a forgotten lane. He hoped Xiang Cho wasn't one for parties. Otherwise, he'd be out there all night.

Katara nudged him, shifted her fukumen so that the lower half of her face was visible. As soon as the Firelord had explained his plan, the waterbender had gone and changed—_thank Agni_. However, instead of her noticeable Painted Lady costume, the waterbender had opted for a matching all-black suit, similar to his. "Do you really think we're going to find him on a night like tonight? He's probably out having a good time like everyone else. We should just go back to the palace, wait a few days," she suggested.

He turned to her, surprised. Just a short while ago, before they had descended into the waterfront city, she had been more than happy to trail along in search of the papermaker. Now her lip protruded in a pout and her arms were crossed stubbornly across her body. The aquamarine of her eyes glinted in the light of a nearby lantern.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped. "I can't tell what you're thinking under that thing."

He lifted the chin of the mask and pulled it out of the way. He could feel that his expression was hard—his eyes narrowed, his mouth tight. "I thought you _wanted_ to come along."

Her cheeks darkened, as if she was ashamed by what she had said. "I didn't know there was going to be a festival…," she grumbled.

Frustration began to build up in the young firebender. Why was she being so _negative_ about the situation? He figured she, of all people, would understand—this was the first lead he'd had on his mother in years, and she just wanted to _wait a few days_? They hadn't waited a few days when Zuko had told her about the Southern Raiders. "Is that _really_ a problem?"

"No," she admitted. "But, Zuko, what if he doesn't know where she is? He probably didn't even know he was making documents for the Firelady…"

He shoved the mask back into place and turned back to observing the crowd, away from the sulking girl. His voice was harsh when he spoke. "If you want to go back to the palace, _fine_. But I'm not leaving."

He couldn't tell what her reaction was, facing away from her like he was, but when she didn't respond, he checked over his shoulder.

The waterbender was gone. The alley was empty.

Almost immediately, he regretted snapping at her. It wasn't worth getting Katara angry just because he didn't want to wait.

_Too late now_, he thought and backtracked into the abandoned side streets. She was going to be upset when he returned, but hopefully she'll have cooled off enough for Zuko to escape her wrath alive.

The papermaker's shop was on the far side of the city, away from the ruckus of the main street. The Blue Spirit broke into a jog. The sooner he figured out what was going on, the sooner he could find Katara and apologize.

After a few minutes, an aching pain blazed through his chest, his recent injury flaring up due to his exertion. He paused against a storefront to catch his breath, the cool glass window creating goosebumps along his flesh.

He closed his eyes. Let his heartbeat slow. His thoughts drifted as he tried to relax.

It was undeniable that he was falling for her again, for the waterbender with the clear blue eyes and russet skin. It was almost impossible not to—she was beautiful, pensive, and selfless. He was driving himself insane over her; he was unable to think of anything _other_ than her. But he knew it wasn't right to think about her that way. It wasn't fair to Aang, it wasn't fair to Katara, and it _certainly_ wasn't fair to Zuko.

The men seemingly came out of nowhere. A damp cloth was shoved forcefully against the mask, blocking the Firelord's view. Thick arms wrapped themselves around him, practically squeezing the air out of him before dropping him to the pavement with a _thud _and jarring the mask half-off his face. A boot made contact with his stomach, his shoulder, the back of his head. He lashed out in an attempt to strike his attackers, but his curled fists only met empty air.

Another blow, this time to the base of his skull, caused Zuko to lose consciousness.

Getting lost in the twisted streets of Harbor City had not been part of Katara's plan. As she had stormed away from Zuko she must have taken a wrong turn, and now she was trapped in the narrow streets with no idea which way to go next. As she wandered further into the labyrinth of the inner city, she began to suspect that her fit of anger had just left her stranded until morning.

_Zuko will notice I'm gone,_ she comforted herself. _He'll find me._

A sharp cry made her jump and whirl, but there was nothing and no one that she could see. Muffled shouts and the sound of scuffling feet came from further down the street, and the waterbender hurried toward the sound, pulling her fukumen up over her mouth and nose as she went.

A trio of men was tying up another, his body limp and unresponsive. As they lifted him, his head lolled in her direction. She saw the blue of his mask, the demonic grin of the face, and her heart dropped into her stomach. _No._

At the uncorking of her water pouch, all three men whipped their heads around. They were unable to react, however, when a wave of water crashed into them and knocked them off their feet. She froze them against the wall with a flick of her wrist.

Zuko lay in a puddle under the men's feet. She hurriedly made her way to him, kneeling and cradling his head and neck in her lap. His mask still covered the majority of his face, only his good eye having been revealed. It was closed, and when Katara pulled back the lid, his eye was unresponsive, lightless.

Tears began to form in her eyes. One fell on his forehead. "No, no, please, don't be dead, _please_…"

His pulse, when she found it, was strong, pounding against her fingertips and bringing a cry of happy relief to Katara's lips. She wiped her eyes and reached to pull the rest of the mask from his face.

It was then that she noticed the water dripping onto the ground and pooling against Zuko's left side. She glanced up in time to see the last of her ice melted by one of the assailant's flame-wielding hands. The dark-faced man grinned at her, his black eyebrows pulling upwards, and struck, landing a blow on her cheek. She felt the skin split, the blood begin to flow. She fell forward over the unconscious boy, her arm and shoulder settling on his torso. The waterbender could see the underside of Zuko's chin as her vision faded.

The table was cold.

It was the first thing the firebender sensed as he came to, the second being that his head was throbbing.

The third was that he was strapped down against the aforementioned table with several loops of thin metal chains. He pulled against them, testing, but they didn't give.

"Comfortable?"

In the dark shadows of the room, a man that had at first gone unnoticed rapped his knuckles against the foot of the table. "It's interesting, how the most wanted felon of the Fire Nation shows up at the foot of the capital on a fall evening." He leaned forward. His chin, mouth, and thin grey moustache came into view. "It's a wonder that the Blue Spirit could even make it this far into the country without getting caught." He smirked. "Until now." He paused, evaluating the captive. "You can't be much older than twenty, if that."

Although the man couldn't see it, Zuko squinted under his mask. He looked somewhat familiar—or at least the bottom half of his face did. "What do you want?"

The man smiled, his teeth white and gleaming. "That's simple enough. I want the reward on your head."

The boy sneered. "You'll never get it. This isn't the first time I've gotten in a situation like this."

"Is that what you call this? A situation?" He chuckled. "In that case, the pretty little girl who tagged along isn't too bad of a consolation prize, either… Tell me, what did you do to catch that dark beauty?"

The Firelord's entire body went rigid. _Katara_. "You let her go."

"Hit a nerve there, didn't I? She's a tiny little thing—but quite fiery, I must say. I'm sure my men will have fun with her…"

He strained against his bonds, fury driving him up so hard the legs of the table lifted from the ground. "I said _let her go_!"

"Oh, come now. You shouldn't be selfish." The mysterious man stood, walked around to the door. "Don't worry. The sunrise is only a few hours away. I'll make certain my men release her just as soon as I get my money. But until then…"

The sound of his laughter echoed in Zuko's mind long after he had disappeared.

_She'll be fine,_ he tried to reason with himself. Katara wasn't easily overpowered, but she _was_ easily underestimated. A bunch of petty criminals wouldn't be enough to keep her trapped. But just in case—

The firebender bent his head forward. The chains that wound around his middle also came around his wrists in thick manacles. He flexed his hand, and a tiny tongue of flame lapped up from his palm.

The dark of the room was all-consuming. The black-clad girl couldn't see anything as she tried to blink the blackness away. Her hands were trapped beneath her, behind her back, knotted with rope. She struggled onto her side, but the way she was bound only made her arm bend in such a way as to make her _more_ uncomfortable. She gasped at the pain and rolled onto her stomach.

A voice, slow, smooth, and frighteningly close to her ear, pierced the darkness. Katara shuddered. "Well, boys. It seems our guest is finally awake."

A hand touched her neck, and she flinched away. "Relax, Sugar," another voice, more gruff than the first, commanded her. A fire suddenly flickered to life, the same grinning face from earlier illuminated by the glow. "If you do, I'll make sure this feel _real_ good."

Someone gripped her arms, forcing her upper body down against the hard stone floor. She tried to scream, but dirty fingers covered her mouth.

Abruptly, a door was opened and illuminated the room, blinding Katara. "Not tonight, boys." An angry baritone rang out. The knee trying to force the waterbender's legs apart immediately disappeared, and she was roughly yanked up by her bound wrists. She cried out as the force almost pulled her arms out of their sockets, but bit it back halfway through. Instead, she glared up at the new intruder, an older man with a head of thick silver hair, and a moustache to match. He was tightening the sash of his robes, which were a silky burgundy.

_Dress robes, _she realized. This man was going to the palace.

"I'm sorry about that," he said in an apologetic tone. "They can be a little…_rambunctious_."

"Where is he?"

He raised an eyebrow. "The Blue Spirit, you mean? He's being held in a secure location. You needn't worry. After I deliver him to the Firelord, he won't be a danger to you any longer."

"_Where is he_?" she shouted at him.

He smirked at her, his brown eyes mocking. "Your masked hero isn't coming to rescue you—"

A broadsword blade stopped him midsentence as it appeared under his throat. Zuko's demon mask emerged from behind the man's shoulder, its ever-present grin chilling. "Let the girl go," he demanded.

The hold on her arms vanished, and she was shoved forward. She stumbled to Zuko's side. He backed them to the doorway and then kicked the old man to the floor and slammed the door. "Come on," he commanded, sliding the Dao swords back into their sheaths. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall.

It was only once they reached Caldera that they slowed their pace. The firebender didn't even care that his chest was threatening to tear him apart—what mattered was that he got Katara as far away from there as quickly as possible. He only stopped because she refused to run any longer. They paused on the fringes of the city; Katara leaning against the wall, Zuko doubled over, his mask in his hands. Once he had caught his breath, he managed to walk over to the waterbender. She was staring into space, her eyes unfocused.

"Are you okay?"

She blinked at him, and only then did he realize she had spoken. "Sorry?"

The girl pushed away from the wall, pulled her fukumen off her face and releasing her hair from its confines. "I asked if you were okay."

He pursed his lips. "No. Actually, I'm not. I was just in some sort of—I don't even know _what_ to call it—and that man—" The Firelord stopped, started again. "When he told me you were there… I was scared. You don't know what he said to me, what he said about you…"

"Zuko…"

He closed his eyes. "I wanted to hurt them, Katara. I wanted to do more than hurt them. I wanted to—"

"Don't say that!" she demanded. Her voice was a lot louder than he had expected, much more forceful. He opened his eyes, and she was a few inches from him, her face twisted in sadness and anger. "Please don't say that."

"But they—" he tried to protest. Then he really took in her appearance. "Your cheek!"

The right side of her face had swollen, a thin gash slicing across her high cheekbone. The puffiness caused the eye above it to squint slightly, as if she were caught in a permanent grimace.

She shrugged, like the injury was something to brush off. "I know. But we got out of there. I'm safe, and you're safe. That's all that matters." She leaned into him, snaking her arms behind his back. He could feel her cool hands sliding up his shoulder blades, her body pressing against his. He buried his face in her sienna hair. It smelled like cinnamon, and coconut. The scents soothed him, helped him to clear his head of violent thoughts.

She turned her face toward him, and he was suddenly very aware that her lips were pressed against his neck. She exhaled, warm air tickling below the edge of his ruined ear. He pulled away slightly, confused, but her eyes were unreadable.

Cautiously, she brought her lips so that they brushed against his.

She hadn't meant to do it.

But when the young firebender reciprocated the kiss, she wasn't about to complain.

Zuko's fingers splayed across the small of Katara's back, effectively securing her stomach against his. He moved, switched their positions so that she was the one being pressed into the wall. Her hands found the nape of his neck, grazing the skin there before plunging into his hair. He moaned, sort of a _hmm_, and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered rapidly at the sound. He steadied his hands across it, and she wondered if he could feel her excitement. His knee touched between her thighs as he pushed closer to her.

Suddenly she didn't feel so good. _No._

She pressed against his shoulders, twisted her face away. He immediately let go, stepping away from her. They were both panting. She swallowed, pushing back the bile in the back of her throat.

_Grimy fingers smothering her lips. His breath, hot and putrid against her ear._

"Katara?" His eyes were frantic as he tried to understand what he had done wrong. "Katara, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you like that—I shouldn't have kissed you at all. I mean, I know you're—"

She held up a hand to stop him. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. It's just that—back there, they tried to…they almost—" She covered her mouth, almost as if the words too vile to escape.

His eyes widened. "Agni… I thought I had made it in time. When I went—"

She shook her head and looked away from Zuko's distraught gaze. "No, it was before. The—the man stopped them before they..."

The silence between them was heavy, unbearable. "It wasn't your fault," she managed. "You didn't know. And what I did, it was just—it was instinctive. You didn't do anything wrong."

His face reddened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "How about we just…get back to the palace? It's almost morning." He gestured to the pinkening eastern sky. "And, well… My guess is that you'll need some sleep before today's council meetings."

She groaned. _Why couldn't he just cancel the summit for today?_

He beamed, as if he could read her thoughts, and replaced the mask over his smile. "Let me just do something quickly," he told her, bringing his fingers up to her face. Her heart pounded wildly as he touched her, and she flushed from her toes to her hairline when she felt the heat from him against her injured cheek. The warmth seeped into her, and she shuddered from the strange feeling of being warmed internally.

Zuko seemed hesitant to pull his hands away, and let them drift down her neck before dropping them to his sides. "I don't really know the mechanics behind it, but the heat does something to reduce swelling… I thought it would help with any pain." He ducked his head and pulled his gloves on. She smiled a small smile, pulling her fukumen back up over her—now healed—cheeks. The firebender never seemed to stop surprising her with his kindness.

They made their way back through the empty streets of the capital city, hands clasped loosely. He helped her climb up the eaves to her room, his fingers brushing her waist, and then scampered along the shingles, turning a corner and vanishing from sight.

Katara felt her mouth split into a grin under her fukumen as she climbed through the window. _Zuko kissed me_, she mused giddily.

She froze with one foot still on the sill. Her room had been reorganized. Papers stacked on her desk, her discarded clothing in a folded pile on the seat. And on the bed…

"_Aang_?"

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter was hard to write. At least, the second half was hard to write. I'd love love _love_ feedback on this. So please review! Also, I'm looking for a beta for _The Prince's Honor_****, because my editing is atrocious. If anyone's interested, let me know. It'd be über helpful.  
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Her blood had stained his shirt.

At first he hadn't known what the stiff patch on his abdomen was, but once he had submerged the fabric in his washbasin and the water ran red, he quickly realized what had created the stain. He clenched his hands around the edge of the basin as he once again recalled the terrible split in the waterbender's otherwise smooth caramel-colored skin. After he had soothed the swelling, it had reduced down to a pink slash that cut across her cheek, but if he had to bet on it he would guess she was still in quite some pain. The blood seeping from his clothes only made that point excruciatingly clear. He released his grip with one hand and ran his fingers through his hair. She could have been hurt—she was almost assaulted. And it was because she was trying to protect him.

It was decided, then. No more midnight escapades. They were too dangerous, now that the street thugs of Harbor City were on the alert for the Blue Spirit and his black-clad accomplice. He wasn't about to put Katara in that kind of danger again. She was too valuable to him.

The firebender drew his fingertips across his bottom lip, his thoughts drifting to the much happier memory of her cool hands against his neck, her flat belly under his palms. The exotic perfume of her auburn hair. The way her clear blue eyes pierced him so deeply. He felt it again—that odd warming feeling in his stomach, the feeling he seemed to get every time he thought about the Water Tribe girl. He wouldn't mind if it became a habit.

He forced himself away from the blood-soaked shirt and to his desk. It was littered with an assortment of reports, statements, and files. The hidden documents about his mother were shoved into one of the desk's tiny top drawers, the file box barely able to fit in the compartment. He wriggled it out, stared at the plain red cover. Somehow, these people led to the missing Firelady.

The Firelord sighed and dropped the file onto the desk. This was going to be an impossible task until Jia returned home from her business in Fire Fountain City. He might as well forget Xiang Cho until then.

The sky was awash with both pale and brilliant hues of pink, red, orange, and yellow. The few remaining storm clouds left spots of dark blue in the otherwise dazzling heavens. In a few moments the sun would peek over the rim of the shallow crater and illuminate Zuko's room and the rest of the palace with blinding morning light. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at his bed tiredly. There was no way that he was going to be able to fall asleep, what with the fast-approaching dawn and multitude of concerns that were weighing on his mind. He wondered if Katara was curled up, already unconscious after last night's close call. He wouldn't doubt it.

_You rise with the moon, _he thought enviously. _I rise with the sun._

The Avatar snoozed contentedly on the smooth comforter of Katara's bed. His face was relaxed, the line between his brows that had recently come to seem like a permanent fixture smoothed away. His waterbending teacher watched the slumbering boy with a mixture of affection and apprehension. Obviously, she was happy to see him—it had been over two months since their last meeting—but at the same time, she was wary as to why he had arrived unexpectedly and unannounced in the middle of the night. He was supposed to be in the North Pole, collaborating with her father and Toph and working to restore what was left of the damages from the siege the previous winter. If he was here, it meant something big must have happened.

Of course, there was another reason for Katara's anxiety. She hadn't planned on seeing the airbender for at least another month. She knew she had been drifting away from him as she spent more and more of her time with the Firelord, but watching him sleep easily on her bed had finally made her come to terms with the fact that she was really only looking out for the boy, not harboring a deep passion for him. And the thought frightened her, the thought of having to break his heart. He was her friend—she would rather be beaten a thousand times over by those grubby thugs than see the hurt in his wide gray eyes.

The sun illuminated the room faintly, warming patches of the carpet where the light streamed through her windows. She snatched the pile of clothes folded on the edge of the bed and padded over to her bathroom, gently closing the door so as not to wake Aang. She was exhausted from the night's excursion, but she was far too tightly wound to even contemplate the idea of sleep.

The bathwater was calming as she slipped beneath the surface. The palace had pipes that ran from nearby hot springs and the deep tub had filled quickly with steaming water. She felt her muscles relaxing one-by-one as they soaked. She closed her eyes. If she couldn't sleep, at least _this_ was a close second.

That was, until the temperature of the bath reminded her of another, very recent, experience with someone with hot hands. She felt her leg twitch upward at the memory of his mouth, hot and demanding against her, and imagined where the heat would travel had they not been so quickly interrupted by her scarred thoughts.

Her fantasy was cut short when a quiet knock resounded on the door. She jerked up from her position low in the water, causing a tiny tidal wave to spill over the edge of the tub and onto the tiled floor. She reached for a towel and was wiping at her face when she uttered a muffled and disappointed "_Yes_?"

"Katara?" the young boy's voice called out, cracking over her name. She winced as she stepped out of the bath, longingly wishing she could immerse herself in its depths and just remove the complexities from her life. She pulled the plush rectangle of—_surprise_—red cloth around her body and yanked the handle of the door. She stepped out from behind it, resting a hand on her hip. "_What_?"

The Avatar blinked up at the irritated waterbender. "I—I was just—" He swallowed. "I'll wait until you're done."

She sighed, drew her hand from her hip to the back of her neck. She was unable to stay mad at the boy, no matter how much he deserved it. "No, I'm sorry. I was just—I was thinking. And I was really just waiting for you to wake up… You know, passing the time. I'll be out in a few minutes."

She felt herself turn red as she noticed his eyes focused on the skin just below her neck. "Okay," he agreed weakly. He looked up at her then, and frowned, his mouth twisting into something resembling horror. "Your cheek!"

Katara immediately shut the door in his face and pressed her forehead against it. When he said that, it had reminded her of how Zuko had reacted the night before. _Oh, La._

Zuko raked his hair back, frustrated, with one hand, the other scrambling blindly to find the heavy Firelord ornament on the nightstand next to his bed. He was scheduled to arrive in the council chambers at any moment, and he had walked half the distance there before realizing he had forgotten to tie his topknot, and his hair was shagging into his eyes rather unprofessionally. He had paused in the hall, half-wanting to continue on and forget protocol. But then he had pinched the bridge of his nose and spun back in the direction he had come. Defiant as he was, the Firelord's honor ruled over all other feelings to rebel.

The door to his chamber opened behind him, and he twisted his head to look over his shoulder at the intruder, still preoccupied with his topknot. He couldn't see who had entered. He tied off his hair with a quick jerk and pinched the glinting ornament off the table before spinning around. "How many times to I have to say _knock first_ before you people—"

He cut himself off, for a moment blankly staring at the small woman standing just inside the room. Her gray eyes were sharp, narrowed at him in that way that meant she knew something he didn't.

"Jia!"

The old woman nodded, acknowledging this as his greeting. "Chief Arnook has asked me to call to see why you have yet to arrive in the council chambers. They are prepared to begin without you, if you deem it necessary."

"No; I am leaving now," he told her, still dazed at her sudden reappearance. He swept past her, shaking the dazed feeling from his mind. He had business to attend to.

"I must also inform you that the Avatar arrived early this morning. He is in council as well."

At this, the firebender stopped and whirled. His senior manager's eyebrows were raised in a silent question as she evaluated his slightly panicked reaction.

"Did he say why he was here?" he asked, his thoughts flitting to Katara almost simultaneously. "Why wasn't I alerted earlier?"

Jia waved her hand dismissively. "I asked; he did not wish to tell me. And as for alerting you—" Her gaze was steely as she locked eyes with him. "—you were not in your quarters this morning when I first arrived with the information."

He looked down guiltily and hesitated in the door frame. "I—very well then, Jia." He was about to go when he paused and returned to the old woman. "Please return to my lounge at noon. I have to speak to you about…a personal matter."

She bowed her consent, and with that he left to face the leaders of the world.

Aang refused to look at her. She bit her lip and looked at the other foreign delegates, but they seemed oblivious to the awkwardness between the Water Tribe girl and the Avatar. Chief Arnook and General Fong were caught up in their own discussion, leaving the other three at the table in tense silence. Zuko was late, a fact that both surprised and concerned her. In all the time she had known him, he had never been late for anything. Her troubled gaze fell on his empty seat. Where was he? She needed to talk to him, about what had passed between her and the Avatar.

The airbender hadn't taken the news very well.

_She stood with her arms pressed across her belly as she waited. The silence stretched out until she couldn't bear it any longer._

_ "Say _something_," she urged in a whisper._

_ At the sound of her voice, he finally looked up. His eyes were pooling with barely-restrained tears, but his eyebrows were pulled down in resentment. "What do you want me to say, Katara?" he asked, his voice quivering—though out of sadness or anger, she couldn't guess. "That I _like_ the feeling of having my heart ripped out? That I _enjoy_ seeing my worst fears playing out in front of me?"_

_ His bitter sarcasm made her defensive. "I don't want to hurt you, Aang."_

_ "Then why are you?" he raged. "Why are you doing this to me? I thought you loved me!"_

_ "I thought I loved you too!" she snapped. "But I don't love you…in that way. I was confused, and after the war, I just wanted to be…happy. Completely. I wanted to make you happy," she confessed. "I guess I thought that maybe I could grow into it. But, Aang, it hasn't worked. You're never around—"_

_ "I'm the Avatar! It's not like I _wanted_ to be away!"_

_ She glared, and this caused him to shrink back. "That doesn't make it any less true. But I need someone who _is_ around, who _can_ be with me. I'm sorry it can't be you." _

_ His shoulders slumped. "Me too."_

She pressed her face into her hands. She could have handled the situation so much better. But when she had emerged from the bathroom—fully clothed, this time—it had taken a total of ten seconds for her to blurt out that she didn't want to be with him anymore. Afterwards, she had felt awful. He'd left her room with some mumbled excuse and hadn't spoken to her since.

The waterbender felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head to the face of the former general. Iroh's golden eyes were wide, worried. "Is everything alright, Katara?"

The others cast death glares at the man on Katara's left. Aang noticeably stiffened, and she felt his gray eyes boring into her.

She ignored their stares and smiled gratefully at the old firebender. "Yes, thank you. I'm just…I'm tired. I've had a long night."

The Dragon of the West smiled at her knowingly and folded his hands across his large stomach. "Perhaps after this meeting you would like to take a cup of tea? My white dragon bush tea is rather soothing, if I do say so myself."

"Maybe later, Uncle," the Firelord answered for her as he entered the room. He sat on the other side of his mentor, locking his molten eyes with the waterbender's. "She has a meeting with me for lunch."

Katara wet her lips and stared down at the dark grain of the table, silently begging to be spared the embarrassment of flushing beet red. Did he _want_ to make her look the fool in front of these men who already thought she was incapable of participating in orderly debate? Or did he have a legitimate reason for mortifying her?

He smiled, as if he hadn't seen the furious glare she threw at him. "Aang," he greeted the young airbender with the slightest nod. "It's good to see you, although I wasn't expecting to for at least a few weeks…" He raised his eyebrow, waiting for the Avatar to explain.

Aang drew in a breath, and Katara glanced up at the sound. His eyes were still trained on her, as if she were the only one in the room.

"Bumi is dead," he said to her. "I've come to collect General Fong."

No one breathed.

The hulking man rose up from the table, arms trembling. "King Bumi? We have to leave for Omashu immediately." He bowed to the table of seated representatives. "My apologies, but this is a matter that I must attend to." With that, he exited the room.

Iroh stood as well, his usually beaming face now pulled down in the deepest of frowns. "As a member of the White Lotus, I feel it necessary to accompany you on this tragic journey. Please, allow me to escort you to Omashu."

"I have Appa," he snapped. He blinked, realizing how the words had come out, turned red with chagrin and mumbled that he would be honored.

The old firebender bowed deeply. "The honor is mine, entirely."

"Avatar…," the Water Tribe chief murmured. "My deepest sympathies for your loss. King Bumi was a great leader in the Earth Kingdom, well respected…" he drifted off after a brief nod of acknowledgement from the airbender.

The waterbender just stared back at Aang. His eyes were dry, almost dead, as if the passing of his oldest friend had no affect on him whatsoever.

She closed her eyes to him, the sight of him so lifeless making her sick. She knew he could feel this kind of loss—she'd seen it first hand when he discovered that Monk Gyatso had been murdered. Was it that he felt so betrayed that he couldn't—_wouldn't_—cry in front of her?

"I'm so sorry, Aang," she whispered to him.

She heard his chair scrape back across the floor. "You didn't know."

This tiny sign of forgiveness startled her enough to look up, but the Avatar was already disappearing through the doorway, just his heel visible to her before he vanished completely.

Iroh turned to his nephew. "I will return as soon as possible."

Zuko looked strained. The chords in his neck stood out as he looked up at the older man. His voice was rough when he spoke, tight. "No, Uncle. Take as much time as you need. He was your friend."

The firebender seemed like he was about to protest, but then he set his jaw. "Thank you, Firelord Zuko." He turned to Katara, a sad smile on his face. "I'm afraid our tea will have to wait for now. My deepest regrets."

When the former general had left, Zuko cleared his throat. "Am I guessing correctly when I assume you do not want to continue with today's discussion?" he asked the Water Tribe chief.

The man met his eyes gravely and replied, "For once, Firelord, we are in complete agreement."

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes, this is incredibly short, and yes, it is incredibly unedited. But since it's been over a month since I last updated (so sorry), I figured something is better than nothing. I'm still looking for a beta, so if you're interested, drop me a PM! As always, reviews are super.**

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Jia was, as usual, early. A small tray had already been placed on the low table in Zuko's private lounge when he entered. The old woman sat on the sofa facing the door with a cup of tea cradled in her tiny wrinkled hands, and although she smiled sadly at the firebender, her eyes remained cold and distant. She stood up gracefully, her old age not hindering her in the least as she did. He wondered how often she had used her fail appearance to her advantage.

"Firelord Zuko, it is an honor to be able to have tea with you so soon after my return." She pursed her lips at him as she read his unreadable expression. "I was informed about King Bumi, of the Earth Kingdom. I am truly, terribly sorry for the loss of such a great—"

"Why didn't you tell me you knew where my mother was?" he deadpanned, moving toward her with slow, deliberate steps. "Why, when I asked you to deliver the files from my father's office, did you fail to mention the ones _locked in his desk_, the ones you _knew_ I was looking for?"

The door creaked open behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder just long enough to see Katara slip inside. Relief filled him. Zuko had been planning on confronting Jia after his friend had joined them, but the accusation had escaped him almost immediately. Knowing she was there strengthened his resolve. He returned his hard stare to the palace executive in front of him.

The woman's silvery eyes zeroed in on the waterbender. "Master Katara, if you will wait outside… This meeting is a matter of—"

The firebender held up his hand. "I asked her to be here."

"Very well." She sank back into the lounge, sipped her tea thoughtfully for a moment. Then she set the empty cup back on the tray next to its twin, still full. "To answer your first question, Firelord, I did not tell you where to find the former Firelady Ursa because you did not ask me."

"That's hardly an excuse," the Water Tribe woman scoffed as she approached Zuko's side. Her eyes were icy as she glared at the seated lady. "You didn't tell him just because he _didn't ask_?"

At her outburst, Jia smiled, but it was a condescending gesture, pompous. "Master Katara, I have told you before that you know nothing about Fire Nation protocol. I am a servant in the Firelord's home. I do not presume to know anything, and I do not speak unless directed to."

Zuko crossed his arms. "I think you understand that there is a time and place in which every rule can be broken, Jia. This was one of them, and you know it. So give us another reason."

Her eyes were stormy as she replied, "Firelady Ursa was banished for a reason."

The Firelord was stunned. "Are you saying she _deserves_ to be…missing?" He examined his executive manager with new eyes. "Are you saying you actually…_agree_ with what my father has done?"

The silence was deafening.

"I'm not your puppet," Zuko told her, his voice low. His gaze was murderous, and Katara watched him warily. She might understand his temper to a point, but she definitely didn't want this to get out of hand. "You do not make the decisions here. _I_ do."

Jia folded her hands across her lap. "Then why didn't you decide to order me to return to the palace when you discovered I had not told you what I knew about former Firelady Ursa's disappearance?" Her smile became more pronounced as he struggled for something to say. "_You're_ the Firelord—you said so yourself. So why didn't you order me home and demand an explanation? Why didn't you order the men in that file you found to report to you about their participation in her banishment?"

Zuko looked at a loss for words. He stood, silently fuming, in front of the tiny old lady. Katara bit her lip and stepped to him, touching his arm in an attempt to calm him. His skin was burning. "Zuko—"

"What you were doing in Fire Fountain City was far too important to the security of the nation to demand you return home to answer some questions," he said sternly. "I trusted you to secure the safety of our returning soldiers, and to establish our trading ports on our eastern islands beyond the Gates of Azulon. Now I find out that you've been keeping things from me." He exhaled, a tendril of smoke escaping from his nostrils. "I want to see you first thing tomorrow morning, about _this_." He stormed to his private rooms—breaking the waterbender's hold on him—snatched Ozai's secret file from its place on his desk, and returned with it clutched in his pale fingers.

The executive eyed the box. "What is it?"

"It's the file about my mother. About her banishment. I want a full list of who these people are, and how they related to the Firelady's expulsion." He folded his arms across his chest and nodded to the door in a dismissal. "Go."

Jia rose in one swift movement and bowed to the Firelord. "Of course. Good afternoon. Princess Katara," she added as she swept past them.

The Water Tribe girl blinked. No one had ever called her a princess before. Although it was true that she was the daughter of the chief of the South Pole, it had never occurred to her that she was the owner of such a prestigious title. From the startled expression on Zuko's face, he hadn't, either.

"She has a point," Katara murmured to him. She approached the shaken man slowly, again reaching for his arm. "You could have just summoned the papermaker and everyone else in that file."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know. It's just that…for three years I had to take justice into my own hands. I had to do it on my own, because my sense of right—at least to the Fire Nation—was wrong. And now that I have the authority to just order these people around? It just seems wrong, for some reason. We have an economy to revive, treaties to negotiate." He turned his molten bronze eyes to her. "Is finding my banished mother really the first thing this nation needs right now?"

The waterbender shook her head, touched his unscarred cheek gently. "Zuko, you can look into her disappearance and help to bring the Fire Nation honor." She smiled at his worried eyes. "One day of questioning wouldn't unhinge the entire financial system. You need this for you. If you don't find some closure, this is going to haunt you for the rest of your life."

His brow furrowed. "My personal needs shouldn't come before those of the country. I can't, Katara."

"I don't like seeing you so upset."

"It's not negotiable."

The waterbender couldn't believe her ears. "Are you saying you're just going to leave your mother out there?" She pointed out Zuko's window, as if she could point all the way across the sea to the Earth Kingdom. "You're not even going to _try_ to find her?"

"I don't even know if she's still alive," he mumbled. With his admission, he slumped into one of the low sofas and buried his face in his hands. "I have an obligation to my people, Katara. I have to please every single sovereign in the entire world, and prove that I'm not just like my father, that I won't start another war. Please try to understand that. I can't spend what resources we have trying to find someone who might not—" His words stuttered to a stop, catching in his throat, and the silence relayed what he couldn't say again.

"Don't you want to know?"

He glared up at her, anger flashing in his golden eyes. "_Of course_ I want to know! I want to send out as many people as I can to find out what happened to her. But I have to think of my country first. One hundred years of devastation doesn't erase itself." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It can't be a priority. Not now."

The waterbender carefully sat beside the emotional Firelord. She tenderly placed her hand on the back of his neck, where the tension was making him tremble. "Zuko… This is eating you up. You can't keep working like this."

The man blinked up at her, but said nothing.

"I can help you," she continued, trying to soothe him. "Whatever you need. But you can't just let this go."

The firebender sighed. "I'm afraid I have to. The nation needs their Firelord."

Katara settled her head against his shoulder. "But the Firelord needs his mother. You can't take away your own happiness, Zuko. Look at what it's doing to you."

His arm wound its way around her waist and he squeezed. "Thank you. For being here."

The pleased flush that came to her cheeks warmed her almost as much as his skin. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

The sun was just beginning to set as the Firelord returned to his bedchamber. His eastern-facing windows were growing darker as he passed them, coolness radiating off of the panes. The arrangements for transportation to Omashu had occupied the entirety of the afternoon, and Katara's words had echoed in his thoughts throughout proceedings. She was right; he was so preoccupied with thoughts of his mother that he couldn't properly focus on what was at hand. He pulled the heavy metal ornament from his topknot and then yanked that apart as well, leaving the tie on the table next to his bed. He made his way to the bed, intending to get a decent eight hours in before the sunrise.

How was he supposed to issue a search party with funds that needed to go towards war reparations? Or with the money needed to keep the economic sector afloat? Zuko shook his head and pulled off his robe, reaching for the pair of silk sleep pants on the bed. Spending money on a thorough investigation was out of the question—at least for now. It would be a waste of funds if they found out she had died. He cringed at the word, but knew that he couldn't avoid it. He had to consider all of the possibilities so that he could make the right decision. In the meantime, he would question Jia and gather as much information as he could before launching any sort of rescue team.

Finally decided, Zuko slipped between the sheets and closed his eyes. The day after tomorrow, he was going to the Earth Kingdom. Oddly, it warmed him a little to know that he was returning to the place that had harbored him in his exile. It was as if it was another home. Lee's home. He wondered about Ba Sing Se, what was going on at the Jasmine Dragon, if there were enough customers to keep it afloat, if Jin still came in from time to time.

Heat came to his cheeks as the thought about the Earth Kingdom girl. He knew that thinking about her now shouldn't make him feel so self-conscious, but she had been so kind, and sweet, and _real_—and he had been just the opposite. Imagining her confused expression at the Firelight Fountain made his stomach twist into knots.

_It's complicated._ That's what he had said to her after breaking off their kiss. The words echoed softly in his mind as the firebender struggled to stay awake. He was drifting away, drifting on the tides into the ocean of dreams, and in the waves, he saw the face of a spirit, the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Brown skin and blue eyes and then the waves washed over her and it was his mother's eyes staring out at him, his eyes, his sister's eyes, his father's eyes. The eyes of the royals. They looked at him from Katara's face, a younger version of it, and her tiny lips murmured something, lost in the roar of the waters. Zuko reached for her, this perfect child, but she faded away, sunk to the depths, and the Firelord shouted to her, but his voice was gone. The water pulled at his ankles and dragged him down, down, down, and he let the surface close over his head and he saw Jin's and Song's and Azula's and Ty Lee's and Mai's faces all stream past him in the bubbles leaving his lungs as he slowly sank deeper and deeper…

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**Any comments? Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 is finally finished. Sorry it took so long; these are getting a little harder to whip out. I'm not usually a person who demands reviews, but...I would like to have a little more feedback on this. So I'm aiming for ten reviews before I post the next chapter. Also, I'm still looking for a beta, so if anyone's interested, they should send me a PM. Okay, enough of me talking. Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

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Flying had never given Katara any problems. During her time with Aang, it had seemed perfectly natural for the bison to take off into the sky, with the gang in the saddle.

Now, as she looked at the massive zeppelin tugging at its ropes, the thought only left her feeling nauseous.

"Is something wrong?"

The waterbender glanced behind her to see Chief Arnook hoisting a small rucksack onto his shoulder. He looked much the same as he had when they had meet in the North Pole, only his eyes were ringed in shadows, as if he were exhausted.

She smiled at the man as they fell into step. "Well, no, it's just that—it doesn't seem right that such an enormous amount of metal can just…stay in the air. Where's the logic of making it out of steel?"

"You're nervous?" he laughed. "The Fire Nation has been developing war machines for over a century now, Katara. Anything they use has been tested again and again to ensure that it works." He glanced at her sideways. "Granted, I have no idea how they got it to lift off the ground, but I'm sure your friend Zuko would be more than willing to explain it to you."

She could feel her cheeks redden. "I suppose I could ask him."

"I want to ask you something," he said, and they came to a stop at the foot of the massive flying machine. His blue eyes were sharp, but searching hers with concern. "Have you told your father yet?"

The waterbender blinked, turned away. "Told him what?" She asked him innocently. Unfortunately, her gaze caught on the rest of their party—the Firelord and his mass of assistants—as they emerged from the palace and she felt herself flush even more.

The Water Tribe chief watched all this with a disapproving air. "Katara, I want you to think about what you're saying, what you're doing. I've seen the way he looks at you—like you're some sort of prize. And I see that you are not seeing the same thing."

She frowned as she examined Zuko's expression. He was focusing on a document held up by one of the several men surrounding him, his eyebrows coming together in concentration. Then he spoke quickly and pointed out some fault on the page and withdrew from the swarm, headed towards them. His eyes, so troubled by his work, suddenly cleared as he saw the two blue-clad dignitaries waiting for him at the base of the craft.

Katara glanced at Chief Arnook. "You're right. I don't see it. And I don't think you should be one to jump to conclusions. You don't know him like I do."

"Don't let your heart cloud your thoughts," he urged anyway. "You need to do what's right for your people, and entering into a relationship with the Firelord—it could be received poorly by the other nations."

"I'm not concerned about how I am perceived," she snapped as the firebender reached them, effectively shutting them up. The seventeen-year-old cast his eyes across them, confused by her sharp retort, but no one offered an explanation.

A sharply-dressed man with dark hair and brown eyes approached from the rear of the vehicle and bowed to the Firelord. "Your Highness, we are prepared for departure."

"Excellent, Captain," he replied, clearly distracted. He smiled at his companions. "Are you ready?"

The leader of the Northern Water Tribe nodded. "I am, but I'm afraid our waterbender here is a little nervous to ride in the zeppelin."

Zuko blinked. "Really? After riding around on Appa, I thought this would be no problem."

Arnook turned to follow the captain into the cab of the airship. "Perhaps you can relay to her the mechanics of how exactly this contraption lifts off of the ground."

The pair watched the older man board without speaking. Once they were alone, the firebender's curious gaze fell on his friend. Her expression was something between embarrassment and anger, and she refused to look him in the eye.

"Is this really about the flying?" he asked her skeptically. "If you don't want to, I can arrange—"

"I'm perfectly fine with the zeppelin," she interrupted.

"Then what's wrong?"

The Water Tribe woman sighed. "He's suspicious of you."

Zuko shrugged indifferently. "Everyone's suspicious of me. I told you—I just need some time to prove to them that I'm not going to start another war and—"

"No," she corrected him, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of brown, "he's _concerned_ about you…and me."

The Firelord stared down at the girl dazedly. "_Is_ there a 'you and me' anymore?" he questioned aloud. Almost immediately after he clamped his mouth shut, knowing how sad and longing the words had sounded, even to him. They hadn't spoken much since their spat two nights previous. Since then he had been working up the nerve to at least try to make amends, but every time he was about to say something, he stopped. He knew she was only trying to help him, but he had his own reasons for putting off the search for his mother; reasons he wasn't about to repudiate. Still, he couldn't help the hopeful tremble in his stomach when she looked up at him with her crystal blue eyes. She gazed at him with some sort of painful expression—was it disappointment?

Then, in the blink of an eye, it changed to annoyance. "Are you even _listening_ to what I'm saying, Zuko?"

He sighed tiredly. He should have known she wasn't going to forgive him so easily. "He's concerned. Why is he concerned?"

The answer to this seemed to trouble her, and she bit her lip without responding.

"Katara?"

She set her eyes on him, clear and focused, and asked a question of her own. "Why do you want me, Zuko?"

The firebender was caught completely off guard. He felt himself redden from toes to hairline. "I—what?"

She crossed her arms, the movement pulling at the sleeves of her tunic and revealing the chocolate colored skin at her wrists. "You heard me."

He felt as if all of the moisture had been bended out of his throat. He scratched at the back of his neck, which was starting to prickle uncomfortably. "Well, you're—I think that you have—really nice…hair."

The waterbender stared at him. "Really nice hair," she repeated slowly.

He slapped himself in the forehead. "No," he recapitulated. "That was stupid. I like your blue. I mean, your eye. I like your blue eyes!" But she was already storming away into the belly of the aircraft. He glanced up at the sky, blue and cloudless. "Agni, help me," he uttered before following after her.

The cabin provided for the young waterbender was not her style. The red tapestries and rugs did little to conceal the metal floors and walls that made Katara feel like she was in a prison. The dull hum of the zeppelin's propellers could be heard as she rested on the silken coverlet and awaited their arrival in the Earth Kingdom. It was going to take another day or two, depending on the wind, but she was too angry to speak to either one of her companions at the current time and the only place she could seek solitude was her own quarters. As she lay on her bed, he youth tried to focus on her breathing and let her thoughts seek solace in the tides, but the steady thrumming of the engines continued to distract her from her dreaming.

Katara could not associate Omashu with happy memories whatsoever. The first time she had been there with Aang and Sokka, she had almost been entirely encased in creeping crystal by the slightly-crazed sovereign, King Bumi. Later in the war it had been captured by the Fire Nation and she had assisted the citizens in escaping the fortified city. She had been attacked by Azula and her friends. And now she was returning to bury a well-respected member of the White Lotus. She felt the tears begin to saturate the red silk coverlet beneath her cheek. It wasn't fair that after all this time, after a hundred years of war and suffering, King Bumi would never be able to see the end result—the peace between the nations that he had worked so hard to establish.

She hadn't really thought much about what would happen after the war. For almost a year, her focus had been placed on Aang defeating the Firelord by the end of the summer. The waterbender had assumed that peace would come easily in the months following. But that was before Zuko changed sides. His change in heart made this transition ten times more challenging, both because of his heritage and his proud, honorable nature.

Katara rolled onto her back. Without the new Firelord, she was almost certain the Fire Nation would have been divvied up between the other two nations. The world would have been left in an even more unbalanced state than it had been when the Air Nomads were eradicated. The thought left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. The drive for power was dangerous; the other sovereigns may say they are only looking to prevent another war, but the land in the Fire Nation was some of the most fertile in the world. It would be easy to make a profit off of the rich, loamy soil. The waterbender contrasted the warm country with her own, otter-penguin-ridden homeland. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten a seaweed cookie, and the bland taste couldn't compare to the fire gummies that were handed out at the Fire Nation festivals.

It wasn't as if the waterbender didn't miss her tribe. She missed Gran Gran and Sokka and her father and all of the other people she had grown up with. But the South Pole itself? She could spend the rest of her life in the Fire Nation, so long as she she got to see her family every once in a while. There just seemed to be so much…_more_ there. It was no wonder the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe looked on it with such desire.

Zuko fumbled with the small bag of tiles, which softly clacked together as he struggled to untangle the complicated leather drawstrings that held it shut. He sat back down on his bed, focusing solely on the knot just preventing him from squeezing his hand into the pouch.

Suddenly the old tether snapped and the purse dropped against his knee and onto the floor, spilling its contents of little black tiles across his room. He groaned, sliding down to pick them up. _I should have been more careful,_he thought regretfully as he crawled on his hands and knees to retrieve the few that had rolled under his desk. He snatched the last tile and tried to stand, but wound up smacking his head against the underside of his desk.

"_Ow_," he hissed angrily and sat back down, rubbing his head. The tile in his hand was worn, as if it had played through the fingers of someone many, many times. Zuko had a feeling that his uncle had used the white lotus tile in his hand to begin more than one meeting of the secret society. The Firelord closed his fist around the tiny piece. Since hearing the news about King Bumi, he had been thinking about—_imagining_ would be a better term for it—what it would be like to be a member of the White Lotus. The association had always been shrouded in mystery, and Iroh had never explained what happened when these secret meetings occurred. Obviously, the organization's purpose was served after the defeat of his father, but…

There was a sharp knock on the door, and the firebender shoved the Pai Sho tile up his sleeve. "Come in," he called, standing and making sure he looked presentable to whoever may be calling.

Chief Arnook looked worse for wear when his face appeared in the entryway. His lids were lined with dark shadows and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. He had changed into his native blues—a sign that the zeppelin was approaching Omashu.

"The captain wishes me to inform you that we will be landing in two hours," he stated, confirming the Firelord's assumption. Zuko nodded his acknowledgement and waited for the Water Tribe Chief to speak what was on his mind. He read the other man for a moment with his light blue eyes, hesitating to speak, before finally saying, "There is something else."

"I figured as much," he replied. He gestured to the desk chair. "Please; take a seat."

"I'd prefer to stand." The older man began to pace quickly across the width of the room, backtracking when he reached the wall. "I have come to notice, during my stay in the Fire Nation, that you have taken a special…shall we say, _interest_ in Katara."

Zuko's wandering thoughts on the Order of the White Lotus immediately evaporated at the mention of the waterbender's name. "We're very close friends," he said warily, hoping his tone sounded casual instead of nervous.

The chief shook his head and locked eyes with the younger man. "If my perception is correct, you and the daughter of the Southern Water Tribe Chief are more than just '_very close friends_.' And to be honest, I'm not thrilled."

The firebender swallowed. "What do you want me to say?"

"What I want you to say is that you won't try to pursue her," he said coolly. "I don't know what was going through your head when you thought that this would go unnoticed—"

"That _what_ would go unnoticed?"

"You're vying for the hand of the only princess in the entire Water Tribe," the chief snapped. "And I will not allow Katara to be used in a political marriage. It is not our way."

The Firelord sputtered, "You think that I—?"

"She's just a child, Zuko. And you're toying with her emotions."

He felt his eyes narrow at the accusation, his fists clench at his sides. He wanted to hit something. He truly wanted to take his fist and run it through a wall. But instead, he took a deep breath and checked his tone, making sure to be calm and respectful. "I'm not toying with anyone, Sir, especially not Katara. I don't know what gave you the assumption that I was using her for any sort of…political gain."

He suddenly thought of the waterbender angrily storming into the zeppelin, after his lame response to her question.

_Why do you want me, Zuko?_ It all seemed perfectly clear now why she had been avoiding him—the doubt had been placed on her mind, and his less-than-adequate answer was not lessening the worry.

The older man stepped forward, jabbed his finger into the firebender's chest. "I lost my own daughter to the Fire Nation—I lost her in the Siege of the North. I refuse to allow my kin to suffer the same loss twice." With that, he departed, leaving Zuko standing alone, his worry for Katara all-consuming.

He felt the Pai Sho tile leave his sleeve and heard it bounce against the heavy metal of the floor. He glanced at it, the white of the tiny lotus flower popping against the black standard background. He was immediately reminded of the task at hand. _I have to prepare for landing,_ he thought in frustration. The Firelord's eyes remained glued to the tile, his will caught between finding the waterbender and establishing a proper greeting into the Earth Kingdom. If he didn't begin arrangements now, the zeppelin would arrive un-briefed. There may even be a scuffle at the airstrip between the troops.

With a sigh, the firebender opened the door and stepped into the hall, trying to remember the right way to Katara's room.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! I'm back, finally. I know it's been a million years since I posted last, but that's life. Plus, this chapter should be super-clean, thanks to my new beta, Charliesky57! She's stellar, and I'm so pleased with how this turned out and the suggestions she gave me. You rock! Okay, enough chatter. Enjoy Chapter 11, and please, review!**

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Omashu's airstrip was one of the largest and most ornate in the Earth Kingdom, second only to the one in Ba Sing Se. Enormous stone slabs covered the courtyard, engraved with the story of the founding of the city. Katara recognized the tale of Oma and Shu through the large panoramic window in the bridge. It had become one of her favorite places to hide out from both the Firelord and the Water Tribe chief.

For their arrival, Katara had changed into the same blue dress she had worn at Zuko's coronation. The smooth silk fit snugly across her stomach and hips, and then flared slightly at the bottom, leaving enough room for her to waterbend if need be. An intricate pattern of deep blue waves lined the hem, which just barely brushed the floor. The funeral wasn't until tomorrow and she thought the formal dress was ridiculous. As soon as she arrived she would change back into her normal apparel.

Interrupting her thoughts, Tuzon, the ship's navigator, stepped forward, coming to stand beside the waterbender. "I suggest you hold onto something, Miss Katara," he told her, bowing his head down so that he could speak with her at eye-level. He was young and had classic Fire Nation features that reminded her of Zuko. What stood out for Katara was the way he held himself comfortably in his own domain. She had seen him from time to time, and although he was utterly formal with Zuko, he had never once been cold or unfriendly towards the girl. Of course, one couldn't forget the one difference that made the firebender so recognizable: the scar. Tuzon's face was unblemished, and both of his wide, dark brown eyes sparkled at her as he talked, taking in the expanse of her neck and her collarbone where it disappeared under the fabric of the dress. "You look very pretty."

She shifted uncomfortably under his fixed gaze. "Thank you." Katara frowned and glanced out at the approaching strip, which suddenly appeared to be coming in at a much faster clip than before. "Will it be a rough landing?"

He smiled dazzlingly and chuckled at her anxious tone. "For a zeppelin? No. But for a first-timer, it can be a little unsettling." Tuzon looked through the window again just as the zeppelin's landing gear was deployed. "I think it's a little too late for you to find a seat, Miss Katara. Just make sure you don't lock your knees," he warned.

"Make sure I don't—?" But then the ship landed, metal screeching. The strength of the impact was more than she had expected, and she had not put enough effort into keeping herself standing. Her knees crumpled beneath her, and she tried miserably to grasp at something. Tuzon reached out and grabbed at her waist as she toppled forward, and clutched her elbow, making sure she didn't collapse completely. The force of the fall had knocked the breath out of her for a moment, and she splayed her hands to keep herself from pulling the navigator with her to the floor.

"See what I mean?" he teased. "Are you all right?"

The waterbender smiled up at him. "Perfectly fine. Thanks for the warning."

"Captain?"

The pair whirled to see Zuko enter the room, cinching his dress robes around his waist. His crown glinted from out of his topknot. The Firelord's bronze eyes were stormy and determined. "I still need to debrief you on the matter of our arrival…" His words petered out as his gaze fell first on the waterbender, half-collapsed to the floor, and then to Tuzon, his hands clasped around her. Katara's stomach plummeted and her throat instantly constricted. There was something in the way that he looked at the two of them that left her feeling guilty, like she had done something wrong. She darted out of the navigator's arms, her face immediately reddening.

Tuzon grinned impishly at her. "Enjoy your stay in Omashu, Miss Katara," he said before stepping away towards the other crewmembers.

The Firelord pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, grimacing slightly before turning to address the caption, who had stepped forward. "The arrangements that have been made incorporated a brief search of the vessel before—"

"You're allowing a search of _my_ zeppelin? Without my knowledge?" The captain frowned. "In all due respect, Firelord, this is my aircraft, and I feel that I should be informed of such matters before landing."

The youth's expression was stony. "_Your_ zeppelin? Captain, you may use this vessel on a daily basis; you might know it like the back of your own hand, but do not refer to it as your zeppelin. It is _my_ zeppelin. You are under my command, and I expect complete cooperation. You understand?" He jabbed a finger in the direction of the crew. "And I want _them_ to learn some respect for our guests. They're here for work, not for pleasure."

For some unfathomable reason, Zuko glanced at her, his expression dark. "I would have called together this meeting sooner, but there was another pressing matter that I had to take care of before we arrived."

"Oh? And what was so urgent that it took precedence over your crew and its passengers?"

The captain's continual insubordination was clearly starting to irritate the firebender. He took one aggressive step forward, but then thought better of it. "Just prepare the ship for search," he hissed before turning on his heel. He shot Katara one last bleak look. "Your dress is torn," he informed her stiffly before ripping the door out of his way.

The waterbender looked down. The stitching on the right side of her gown had burst open, revealing several inches of brown skin and the binding on the top of her hip. She turned away from the onlookers and strained the fabric in an effort to bring it back together, but without a needle and thread, there was no way the tear would go unnoticed.

When she glanced back up, the crew was watching her, waiting for her to speak.

She sighed and reached for the other seam, pulling it so that she had a matching split on her left side. Then she raised her chin and tried her best to look dignified in her ruined gown and shaken disposition. "You heard the Firelord," she said before sweeping from the room. She drifted toward the zeppelin's boarding lock, which had been held airtight during the course of the flight. It now hung open, and a steady stream of Earth Kingdom soldiers filed through, forcing Katara to press herself against the wall in order for them to pass. At the end of the seemingly endless string of guards, the Water Tribe girl caught a flash of red, and she tried to move quickly back in the direction she had come, not wanting to be confronted by an angry firebender.

It was too late. Zuko was already upon her, his eyes searing. "What was _that_?"

She felt a flickering of annoyance at his demand. "What was what?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Look, I know you're probably still angry with me for my stupid response before, but you just—" He blinked, and the anger in his eyes disappeared, replaced by mild surprise. "You ripped the other side of your dress?"

"I didn't have time to fix it…" A blush crept up her cheeks as his gaze remained locked on her exposed hip.

His brow puckered. "I don't think tearing the thing to shreds is going to make things better," he admonished. "It'll probably distract from the processional—"

"Like it's distracting you now?" she interrupted. This resulted in a very red-faced Firelord, who averted his eyes and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"That's not exactly what I meant…," he muttered.

She sighed. "Can we talk about this later? I just want to get off this thing and find somewhere to lie down…" She inched her way along the wall in an effort to escape.

He blocked her path with his arm, bringing his face down close to hers. "Listen to me. I wanted to apologize for being so distant with you over the past week."

"_I'm_ the one who's been avoiding _you_, remember?" she suddenly snapped. The waterbender was quickly losing her patience. She tried to push him out of her way.

He held firm, his eyes steely. "Is that why you were hanging all over the navigator just now?" His voice grew softer, wearier, as he read the annoyance in her eyes. "I just want to know what I can do to make this right again."

Katara caught a flutter of movement from further within the belly of the craft. It was time to leave. She turned back to the Firelord, who was still waiting for her to speak. "What do you want from me, Zuko?"

He saw her eyes flash away from him, and he followed her gaze down the narrow hallway. The captain of the zeppelin was leading the way, followed closely by the troop of Earth Kingdom soldiers. The firebender tried to reorganize his scattered thoughts in an effort to keep her from walking away. "I want you—" he began, returning his attention to the Water Tribe girl, only to discover that she had slipped under his arm and out onto the open airstrip. A frustrated groan escaped his lips and he pressed his forehead against the smooth metal wall. Why was it so difficult to please her?

Zuko pushed away and began his pursuit of the waterbender. Stepping off the craft and onto solid ground, he squinted against the harsh sunlight in an effort to see where she had disappeared to, but the dawdling _whoosh_ of the slowing zeppelin propellers made it difficult for him to pinpoint in which direction she had gone.

"Firelord Zuko!" The Earth King's greeting was faint under the dying roar. Kuei approached the boy with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Welcome to Omashu. It is truly an honor to have you here with us." He blinked nervously and fiddled with his spectacles, looking for something to say to the young man. "Ah—how is your…sister?"

The firebender only stared. They had let this buffoon of a man remain in power after the war? "Azula is still recuperating in prison," he replied. The king's shoulders drooped in relief. Zuko tried to think of a polite inquiry, hoping to swiftly end their awkward exchange. "How is your, uh…bear?"

It was the wrong question to ask.

"Bosco is wonderful!" the Earth King cried. "I think the time away from the palace really did him good. I—"

"I need to find my uncle," Zuko cut in before he had a chance to elaborate. "He flew in with the Avatar. Do you know where he would be?"

The Firelord was directed into the nearby palace and given instructions on how to reach Iroh's quarters. The old general's room was in an isolated sector, almost all the way to the back of the complex. Zuko wandered in, curious as to why they had left his uncle in such a secluded location.

The old firebender was meditating on the floor of the small room, a tiny candle sitting before him. He opened one eye as his nephew slipped inside.

"Uncle, I'm so sorry."

"King Bumi was over a hundred years old when he passed," Iroh commented. "He was very lucky to have been able to see the world at peace once more."

Zuko swallowed and joined his uncle on the floor. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"On the way here, Chief Arnook came to me and—he accused me of—" he cut himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "He accused me of using Katara for political gain."

Iroh frowned. "How would you be using—"

"He thinks I want to marry her to increase my influence in foreign affairs."

"You want to _marry_ her? You are still so young, Zuko."

The Firelord blinked, startled, but his uncle only regarded him with one eyebrow raised. "I—I don't know. Certainly not for want of power."

"And for love?"

He was silent for a moment. "Love is a complicated word," he finally said. "I'm so confused. I don't know how to make things better between us."

"Hmm," came the slow response. "Katara has a right to worry." The old man held up a hand when Zuko began to protest. "Not that she should be. You are a man of honor, Firelord Zuko, but others are not. In this highly precarious time of peace, it is difficult to know who to trust. She is very inexperienced in the way of politics. If Chief Arnook has placed a seed of doubt in her mind of your intentions, then you must dig it out before it starts to grow."

"How?" the youth asked. "She's already angry with me, and doesn't wait for me to explain myself."

The former general regarded his nephew. "If she will not listen to you, then perhaps you can discuss your objective with someone who she _will_ listen to. A family member, for example."

The youth snorted. "I will _not_ talk to Sokka about this."

"I do not mean her brother."

Zuko felt his eyes widen in panic. Talk to Chief Hakoda? About _Katara_? "You can't be serious."

Iroh shrugged. "If that's what it takes…"

The younger man scowled. He knew his uncle was right—he almost always was—but the idea of seeking out the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe for this purpose was a more daunting task than leaping into crocodile-shark-infested waters. He quickly got to his feet. "Listen, Uncle, I really don't think this is necessary."

Iroh chuckled at his nephew's expression. "I know the man can be a bit intimidating—"

"I'm not _scared_," Zuko objected, wounded by his uncle's amusement.

"It would be perfectly understandable if you were," he replied. "That man can be quite menacing sometimes, if you rub him the wrong way."

The young firebender stood up, determined. "No, I'm going to talk to him now."

As the boy left, the old man half-smiled and returned to his meditations.

To Katara, there was one problem with residing in an Earth Kingdom city: there was hardly any water.

The Water Tribe girl paused at the main doors of Omashu's palace. She wasn't very familiar with the layout of the city, and after her last experience with going out alone, she wasn't too keen on exploring. But she just wanted to get away, to let out her anger and frustration through bending. She sighed at the steps in front of her. Why did earthbenders insist that their residences be miles away from a body of water? A river, a lake, really even a pond would do. There had to be some sort of water source for the people here, some hidden reservoir underneath the paving stones. She would have to investigate the bowels of the city, but not today, and not by herself. Her water pouch would have to settle for now. The waterbender uncorked the small bottle and bent out its contents. Guided the element in front of her, followed it with her eyes. She could be so overwhelmed, and yet, this came as easily as breathing. The waterbender wasn't trembling anymore, she realized as she turned to keep the stream in view. This was what gave her strength.

"Katara?"

The water splashed onto the stones as she gasped and whirled, her heart pounding in her chest. "Don't do that!" she exclaimed as she bent the water back into her pouch.

Sokka beamed from where he stood on the steps below. "What, no hugs for your long lost brother? It's been almost—"

The waterbender grasped her older sibling tightly, sudden tears budding in her eyes. "I've missed you, Sokka. You and your stupid, sarcastic meat jokes."

"Oh, that reminds me, I have some new ones—"

"Not now," she interrupted, her voice cracking embarrassingly over the second word.

Sokka frowned at her. "Something wrong, Katara?"

She flushed. "No." She did _not_ want to tell her brother that she was having relationship issues with Zuko.

He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. If you don't want to tell me, maybe I don't want to know." The two started towards the palace together.

"Where's Dad?" Katara asked, glancing around. It seemed as if her brother was the only Water Tribe soldier in the vicinity. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

Sokka's eyebrows came together. "He was working on rebuilding in the North Pole, Sis. I was coming from the completely opposite direction. He's probably already here by now. I'm on my way to see him. Want to tag along?"

The waterbender agreed, and followed her brother through the halls of the palace. It was all pale stone masonry, nothing like the Fire Nation palace, and its series of mazelike hallways—which were constantly changing due to earthbending notables and their ability to adjust the paths as they pleased—gave her a headache. She would never be able to find her way back to the main entry on her own.

The warrior knocked on the door to the chief's quarters. When there was no answer, Sokka grabbed the handle and opened the door, stepping into the tiny greeting space. His body blocked the entire doorframe, the waterbender noticed with a pang of annoyance.

"What happened?" he squawked as Katara worked her way around him. The first thing that came into view was the Firelord, reclined on the sofa, holding a red cloth over his nose. His golden eyes met hers, and she immediately felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. She had certainly not expected to walk in on the firebender in her father's quarters.

The Southern Water Tribe chief stood to their right, holding a small pouch of some sort to his cheek. He grinned, a row of straight white teeth emerging between his lips. "Oh, the new Firelord and I were just talking about how things are going with Katara as the ambassador in the Fire Nation."

"With your fists?" Sokka questioned, voice pitched uncomfortably high. Only after he had made the situation clear did she notice that the bag was dripping water out of one corner, and Zuko's handkerchief was stained with blood.

"Dad! Are you okay?" She hurried over to her father, inspecting his face. "Does it hurt?"

He chuckled and lifted the pouch off of his cheek. "It's only a little bruise. It'll be fine, and the swelling won't be too bad, since I got the ice on it pretty quickly." A dark red welt was already beginning to form. There wasn't much she could do for it right now—it'd be much easier to handle the bruise when it was fully formed—so she bent the water from the soaked carpet and placed it back inside the bag, freezing it again. Chief Hakoda gave her a kiss on the forehead as thanks, and then nudged her in Zuko's direction. She shot him a scathing look before approaching the lounge.

"Do you mind?" she asked him softly. He just shook his head.

The Firelord watched her movements with silent, calculating eyes. She pulled the fabric out of his warm, strong fingers, and they curled into fists immediately, resting tensely against his stomach. The damage looked much worse than it was. Dried blood spread down from his nostrils and lined the upper edge of his lip. An isolated smudge of red was smeared high on his cheekbone. She wiped it away with the pad of her thumb before moving on to his nose.

She lined her thumbs up along it, splaying her palms against his cheeks and concentrating on the veins that had broken, now gushing blood. He winced as her fingers probed along the line of his nose, inspecting for breaks.

"You should be fine," she announced once she repaired the broken vessels. "The bleeding should stop soon."

The waterbender was knelt over him, her knee and thigh wedged up against his hip. The bases of her thumbs were still pressed against his lips, cool and calming. He tried to think of something besides the dark stretch of skin he had seen just above the white of her hip bindings earlier. The firebender took in a shaky breath and murmured, "Thank you."

Katara leaned back. "You're welcome."

Hakoda stepped over to the door and clapped a hand onto his son's shoulder. "Sokka and I have a lot to discuss…and the Firelord should probably get cleaned up before dinner."

Zuko stood up to leave, but the room swam suddenly, and he stumbled forward. Cool hands grasped at his robes, and he caught himself before he splayed out on the floor.

The Water Tribe chief regarded him coolly. "Katara, help him to his room."

"Can't Sokka take him?"

"Under other circumstances, I would, but I need to talk with your brother about the goings-on in the South Pole before we have a summit with the other sovereigns. That includes the Firelord, here, and he can't get anywhere on his own."

The young leader felt the girl reach her arm around his waist and pull his left arm over her slender shoulders. With her for support, they managed to maneuver out into the hall. They didn't speak, and she didn't once turn to look at him, though he snuck several glances at her out of the corner of his eye. The hallway seemed endless.

His quarters were untouched—he hadn't had the chance to go there between his talk with Uncle and the fistfight with Katara's father. His trunks were still scattered, unopened, around the bedroom when they stepped inside. Zuko dropped onto the mattress and groaned. The punch Hakoda had thrown at him had resulted in a nasty headache, with his pulse pounding behind his eyes and his brain in a fog. He pressed his head against the pillows. This summit was going to be terribly painful.

The blue and brown blur disappeared into his bathroom. He heard the water running into the basin and then she reemerged, holding something. She stepped towards the bed, and then hesitated.

He sighed. "Are you going to say anything?"

She paused for a beat before crawling onto the mattress and up to his face. She brought the item—a washcloth, he saw now—into view and began swiping at the dried blood on his upper lip. "What were you doing talking to my father." It came out as a statement instead of a question.

He tried to read the expression in her eyes, but she refused to look at him, instead focusing on the task at hand. "I was trying to find a way to talk to you."

Katara suddenly met his gaze, a storm brewing behind her blue eyes. "And how does picking a fight with _him_ get me to talk to you?"

"Well, we're talking now, aren't we?"

She glared at him. "You're unbelievable."

"Listen—" he cut in, grabbing at her arm before she could shove away from him. "I didn't start the fight. I went to try and convince him that I wasn't trying to use you. I know Chief Arnook talked to you about me—he talked to me about the same thing before we got off the ship." He dropped his hand. "I wanted to tell you, but you kept avoiding me."

The waterbender tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes averted. "So how did you get the bloody nose?"

Zuko swallowed. "He didn't believe me."

"So you decided to lash out?" Her voice was incredulous.

"I was trying to defend myself," he corrected hotly. "_He_ threw the first punch."

"Oh." A blush darkened her cheeks. "By the way, you split your lip."

He smiled. "Yeah, I can tell."

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't hit me."

She gave him a look. "You know what I mean."

"I do." He pushed himself into a sitting position, the grin still in place. They were only a few inches apart, and the perfume of her breath was almost dizzying. He noticed her eyes locked on his mouth, but he wasn't sure if she was distracted by his lips or if the split had started bleeding. "But are you going to do something about it?"

The waterbender snorted, dropping her forehead against his shoulder. "That was corny."

Zuko frowned. "I was trying to be—"

"I know," she told him. "I really _should_ fix it, though." She pulled away so she could examine the wound. She uncorked her water pouch and bent a small amount out of the neck, surrounding the index finger of her hand. Gently, she pressed her finger against his lips. It was only a matter of seconds before the skin looked completely normal. "There, good as new," she announced, pecking him lightly on his bottom lip. She quickly untangled herself before the Firelord could entice her back. "Now lay down. You'll need to rest before the summit."

"Won't you stay?" The request came out automatically, and he winced at how pathetic it sounded. His unnatural need to have her with him made him so pitiable. The idea was foreign to him; he had never relied on anyone besides his uncle before, and he was the man who he loved and trusted more than anyone. The recent time in which he and Katara hadn't been speaking had led him to the realization that his infatuation might be growing into something more substantial. He flushed in embarrassment at how easily she would see his attachment.

But the waterbender only smiled. "I can't. I need to see my father."

"You don't have to talk to him about this," the boy assured her, gestating towards his face. "He was justified in his anger, and I understand that he only wants what's best for you."

A flash of an emotion flickered across her face, but then she shook her head. "No, it's not that. Just… I have to go. I'll see you after the meeting." Without pausing for him to speak, she turned away and left the room.

Zuko swallowed hard. He had to refocus on the political matters at hand. Chief Arnook had threatened to form a blockade outside the Gates of Azulon—an act that would surely break the weak temporary truce that had been devised shortly after his coronation. They were driving themselves apart instead of compromising. There had to be a way for the Firelord to be on better terms with the other dignitaries.

But first, a little rest wouldn't hurt…

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**Any comments? Please review!**


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